Blending In
by Chikara-san
Summary: AU. Alternate Universe. In an effort to save a teenage Vegeta from a grisly end at the hand of Frieza, Nappa leads an escape to Earth. But Vegeta didn't think Nappa's plan would include enrollment at an Earthling high school! Thanks for over 400 reviews! Reviewer feedback:"Beautifully well-written." "Amazing from start to finish." "Interesting take on the high school idea."
1. The Master Plan

_In an effort to save the Saiyan Prince Vegeta from a grizzly end at the hand of the tyrant Frieza, the prince's guardian, Nappa, leads an escape to Earth. He hopes to give the teenage prince a chance to grow up and become strong enough to return and defeat his former master. But Vegeta didn't think Nappa's plan would include enrollment in an Earthling high school!_

_I love reading AU Dragonball High School fics, especially ones that feed on established character traits and fun stuff like that. I wanted to try my hand at one. I've got the basic arc planned out, and I promise, I'm going to do my best to finish this piece! Usually, I'm more of a one-shot author, but this fic really wrote itself last night, so here we go!_

_By the way, I don't own this series. Just having fun._

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Chapter One: The Master Plan

The grating buzz of the alarm clock was cut short by a fist slamming down and cracking the plastic shell. From under a heap of blankets, a teenager clad in a t-shirt and loose sweat pants pushed back the covers and exposed a scowling face half-hidden by an untamed head of hair. The boy picked up the damaged alarm clock and examined the large crack covering the top and side. It extended into the panel that protected the large, red numbers, fracturing the 6:00 AM reading.

He unplugged the device, holding it loosely by the cord as he shuffled down a short hallway into a kitchen, wrapping his tail around his waist as he went. There, a large, bald man was sliding the last of five omelets onto a plate.

"Broke another one," the boy grumbled, dropping the device onto the floor where it hit the linoleum and set electronic bits clattering in every direction. He pulled a chair from beneath a worn table and plopped down with a yawn.

"Vegeta," chided the much larger man as he stooped down to pick up the broken clock and scattered parts. He set the pile gently on the counter. "That's the fifth one this month."

"I can't help that this pathetic planet's machinery is as fragile as paper, Nappa. It can't stand up to the waking power of a Saiyan," said the teen while chewing an omelet. "It's not like I meant to break it. It just happened," he added.

"Right," said the large man. "Well, just enjoy your breakfast. You've got a big day today."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and sighed. "I told you already. I'm not attending an Earthling school. What good would it possibly do me?"

"And I've told _you_ already. It would be the strategic move to learn as much about this planet as we can if we're going to stay here for an extended period of time. Plus, this will give you a chance to be around people your own age." Nappa set a glass of orange juice in front of the younger man who grimaced. "And don't look at me like that. It will be good for you."

"What's good for me is training. To get stronger so that I can beat Frieza. Not socializing with a bunch of weakling Earthling teenagers. I thought that's what we would be doing when we left. Training."

Nappa pulled out his own chair and sat on it, his bulk not quite fitting on the seat. "We are. And we will. But we have to lay low for a while. After Frieza killed Raditz, it was only going to be a matter of time until he came after you. And he's not going to be happy when he finds out we deserted. We have to lay low for a while. Blend in with the natural population of this planet."

Vegeta skewered a mushroom with his fork, angrily pushing it around his plate. He knew it was true. The tyrant had made it clear in his former comrade's death that he had no trouble aiding in the extinction of the Saiyan race. After Raditz's murder at the hand of Frieza, Nappa and himself were the only living Saiyans he knew of, minus a rumor of a surviving brother of Raditz on Earth named Kakarot. However, when the duo reached Earth and found the peace-loving inhabitants still alive, it became obvious to the warriors that Kakarot must have never made it to the planet to begin with.

"But that's why we busted the scouters when we left and disabled the locators on our space pods, so Frieza can't trace us," argued Vegeta. "Frieza's probably got half his army scouring the galaxy looking for us. It makes sense to get as strong as possible as fast as possible while we still can. Why come here? Earth's population isn't warriors. The strongest people here are you and me."

"We're here because it's under the radar, and that's how we're going to stay. Hidden."

"I hate hiding. Hiding is for cowards."

"No. Hiding is not for cowards. It's for your own protection." Nappa collected the empty plates from the breakfast table and put them in a large pile in the sink. "I made a vow to your father to keep you safe, Prince Vegeta, and that's what I intend to do. Now go get ready. Your school things are in the living room."

Vegeta removed himself from the table and stomped out of the kitchen. "I'll never reach my full potential on this mud ball," he grumbled to himself. He hated when Nappa brought his "sacred" vow into the conversation. It was his trump card.

He grabbed the stack of schoolbooks and backpack from the living room and glanced at the couch where Nappa slept each night. The one bedroom house they rented as far away from civilization as they could was too small for two Saiyans, and the couch on which Nappa slept was even smaller.

Vegeta felt smothered by the overprotection Nappa exuded. He took his job seriously. He had been Vegeta's guardian for as long as the Saiyan teen could remember. Vegeta knew Nappa was only doing what he thought was best, but the thought of attempting to "blend in" with such a weak race made his skin crawl.

Vegeta made his way back to his bedroom and dressed for the day. The clothing Earthlings wore seemed strange to him. As he donned the shirt, jacket, and khakis, he longed for the familiarity of his Saiyan armor, which lay hidden at the bottom of his closet. His new clothes constricted his movements.

At last, Vegeta reentered the kitchen with his backpack slung over on shoulder. "How do I look?" he asked with a sneer. "Pathetic enough?"

Nappa laughed. "You look fine. Here," he added, handing the teenager a brown paper bag. "I packed you a lunch."

Vegeta put the bulging bag in his backpack. "I'm only going along with your stupid plan so you'll stop pestering me about it," he grumbled. "It's a waste of my time."

"Just try not to blow anyone up, alright?" said Nappa. "Apparently this planet doesn't do well with unexplained deaths. Remember…"

"Blend in," finished Vegeta. "Yeah, yeah. I got it."

"Good," said the older man. "You know where to go, right? Speak to the person in the office. Got it?"

Vegeta nodded.

"You'd better get going. Wouldn't want to be late on your first day."

Vegeta gave a short wave goodbye before taking off into the sky. He heard Nappa shouting behind him. "And don't forget to land before you get to the city. Earthlings can't fly! And keep your tail hidden!" Vegeta groaned. The amount of rules he had to follow to stick to Nappa's new school plan was getting ridiculous, and it was only the first day. This was going to be difficult.

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_Please let me know what you think so far. Next up, Vegeta meets his fellow classmates and maybe even a new enemy too._

_Reviews are love! :3_


	2. New Student

_Thank you to __**Cara2012, FireStorm1991, Momiji, pallyndrome, preciousjade76, **__and__** Golden-Black Dragon**__ for their reviews of the previous chapter. Now on with the show._

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Chapter Two: New Student

Vegeta found West City High School with little trouble, but he was unprepared for the sheer number of students funneling into the building upon his arrival. He stood on the edge of the sidewalk, making sure his tail was secure around his waist, hidden by his shirt and jacket, and shifted his backpack uneasily. Vegeta didn't like large crowds. It was hard to keep an eye on everything going on around him at one, and the sensation made him feel oddly vulnerable. He couldn't think of a time in his life where he had been around so many people except while purging a planet, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He had to stay in complete control, even if the large crowd made him nervous.

Vegeta caught several Earthling teens' eyes dart in his direction, no doubt curious about the unfamiliar student in the middle of the year. He sneered back at several passing students. Even dressed like them, he managed to stand out. His flame-like hair, which seemed to defy the laws of gravity, stood out among more common, flatter hairstyles.

As the flow of students thinned, Vegeta ventured inside and found the office. He spoke to the secretary who handed him his schedule, locker assignment, and a map of the school. The campus rivaled the size of Frieza's largest spaceship. Vegeta thought its population must have been three times as large.

The secretary caught him studying the map. "Why don't I have an office assistant show you to your locker and first class?" she suggested.

"No, I can…"

The secretary turned and called to a young girl sorting folders in a file cabinet. Vegeta hadn't noticed her before. Her blue hair stood out from the crowd as much as his own.

"Bulma," said the secretary. "Will you help Vegeta find his locker and first class? This is his first day."

Vegeta felt heat tinge his cheeks. The secretary addressed him like a toddler. He could certainly find a classroom by himself. He didn't need help.

The girl shut the file cabinet and put the extra folders on a nearby desk. "No problem," she said, walking around the long desk where the secretary sat. "Let's see where your locker is first." She snatched locker and schedule papers from the Saiyan's hand. "East hallway. Gotcha. Follow me." She led the way, gracefully slipping through a bustling crowd of students. Vegeta struggled to stay behind her, following her bouncing ponytail as he clipped the shoulders of many teens, knocking several to the ground.

"Vegeta, right?" asked Bulma as the crowds began to thin. "That's a name I've never heard before. I'm Bulma. Briefs. Where did you transfer from? Overseas?"

"Uh, yeah," answered Vegeta, unsure of the best way to answer her question. He realized he should have at least come prepared with fabricated answers to the most basic of questions. Thankfully, the girl didn't press him further.

The bell rang, and the hallways were nearly empty by the time the pair reached Vegeta's locker.

"Here we are," said Bulma holding the paper and using the combination to unlock Vegeta's locker. "The lockers down this hallway are pretty old. I had one of them last year. The trick is to press in the dial as you turn it." The lock popped and the door swung open. "Presto."

Vegeta felt the girl's eyes staring at his back as he knelt and unloaded his backpack. The feeling unnerved him. He wished she would leave.

"That's a lot of books," said Bulma as Vegeta unloaded all six textbooks into his locker. "How were you carrying that backpack without falling over?"

Vegeta shrugged. It hadn't seemed that heavy to him. Earthlings really must be weak, he thought to himself as he shut the locker.

"Let's check your schedule." Bulma unfolded the second slip of paper. "Alright. First class is… English with Mrs. Pruite. Ugh. Have fun. But, hey, look at that." She pointed to the fourth line down. "We've got lunch period together. I'll be on the lookout for you in the cafeteria."

She handed Vegeta both slips of paper.

"But for now, let's get you to your first class," said Bulma.

By the time Vegeta and Bulma reached Mrs. Pruite's door, the class inside had already started.

"Good luck," said Bulma as she walked away. "I'll see you at lunch."

Vegeta opened the door to the classroom with the intention slipping quietly into the back. As he tried to sneak in, the teacher stopped mid-sentence and addressed him. "Ah, you must be our new student," Mrs. Pruite said with a flourish. She was a thin woman that wore a tad too much makeup. In a strange way, she almost reminded Vegeta of Frieza.

Every student turned in their seat to look at him. "Please, come to the front of the class and introduce yourself."

Vegeta squared his shoulders and advanced to the head of the class. He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Every eye in the room stared at him, waiting.

"My name is Vegeta, and… I'm new," he finished stupidly. A freckled boy in the back row sniggered. Vegeta clenched his fist, biting back a finishing attack that would have blown his cover before he even got through one class.

As he returned to his seat, Vegeta began concocting a believable cover story to save himself from similar experiences in his subsequent classes.

He got better at bluffing his way through introductions as the day went on. Vegeta had always had a talent for deceit, but a lack of geographical and historical knowledge of Earthly details made it difficult to come up with a believable lie on the spot. Eventually, he settled on the simple story that he had transferred from a small school near South City.

When his lunch period finally rolled around, Vegeta was already ready to call it a day. Instead, he faced his biggest crowd yet in the lunchroom. As she wandered past tables already claimed by set groups of students, he contemplated retreating to the outside of the building to eat his lunch.

"Vegeta! Hey, Vegeta, over here!" He heard his name being called and turned to see the blue-haired girl from that morning flagging him down. She leaned on a table near the corner of the lunchroom with four other students sitting around it.

Vegeta mentally rolled his eyes, and seeing no other exit, he made his way over to the table. This girl was persistently helpful. It was annoying.

"We've got an extra seat here," said Bulma indicating the empty chair to her left.

Vegeta slid off his backpack and sat down, eyeing the other teens warily. He went over the details of his cover story in his mind, but before any of them could ask, Bulma began explaining for him.

"Everyone, this is Vegeta. He just transferred from overseas." Then, Bulma introduced each person, starting with the bald boy to Vegeta's left. "Vegeta, this is Krillin and Goku and Chi Chi." A girl waved shyly, and the boy sitting next to her with a head of hair as wild as Vegeta's stopped slurping spaghetti long enough for a quick hello. "And this is my boyfriend, Yamcha. He's the captain of the school's baseball team."

The boy named Yamcha territorially snaked an arm around Bulma's waist. "Hey," he nodded. Vegeta eyed him with interest. His posture screamed overconfidence, but Vegeta was certain he didn't have the power to back it up. Yamcha met his eyes with a level gaze.

Bulma noticed the prolonged silence. "So how's your first day been?" she asked in an effort to restart the flow of conversation.

"Your school is very crowed," commented Vegeta.

Krillin laughed. "Yeah, West City High School is the biggest in this part of the country. Way too many students for my taste."

"Krillin used to be a monk," explained Bulma. "His temple only had around one hundred members."

Krillin leaned back in his chair. "Now Goku, Yamcha, and me study martial arts at the Turtle School in our spare time. It's probably the best martial arts school in the world."

"Fighting, baseball, and a sexy girlfriend," boasted Yamcha. "How much better could life get?" He laughed.

"I like how I come last on that list, Yamcha," grumbled Bulma.

"Aw, you're first on my list, babe." He squeezed her hips playfully.

So, he had stumbled upon three of Earth's warriors, thought Vegeta. No wonder the boy named Yamcha acted so macho. He thought he was hot stuff. Vegeta suppressed a snigger at Yamcha's overconfidence in his abilities.

"Goku's the best fighter out of all of us, though," commented Krillin.

The spiky-haired boy rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Only on my good days," he laughed.

The girl next to him patted his arm. "Don't be so modest, Goku," Chi Chi said.

Vegeta eyed Goku with suspicion. He wondered how good of a fighter the boy could really be. He seemed a bit more humble in his abilities than the confident Yamcha did. Still, Vegeta couldn't expect much from an Earthling and let the thought go.

Soon, the bell rang, signaling lunch was over, and the group split ways, each heading to a different class.

A few periods later, Vegeta stood with the campus map in front of his face, unsure of where to go. His next class was located in something called a "vocational building," which he was having trouble locating on the map, and had a completely different numbering system than the rest of the classrooms.

The hordes of students had already thinned, meaning that Vegeta would be late for his class, and he turned a corner and entered a random hallway out of desperation. The hall lead to an open garage, filled with automotive equipment. The garage seemed unpopulated at first glance, and Vegeta walked forward, trying to get his bearings by find the room on his map. He sighed audibly.

"Oh hey," came a familiar voice.

Vegeta looked up, startled. He was sure he had been alone, but Bulma rose from under the hood of a car. She was up to her elbows in car motor. Her pristine appearance from earlier in the day and at lunch had changed drastically. She was currently wearing an oil-stained jumpsuit and dirt and grime smudged her face.

"Vegeta, what are you doing here?" Her previously well-brushed ponytail had loosened, allowing strands of hair to fall, hanging limply down to her chin. She wiped the hairs away with the back of one of her hands.

Vegeta realized he was staring and held out the campus map. "I was… trying to find a classroom in another building," he said.

"Oh." She wiped her dirty hands on a grease towel. "I bet it's the vocational building. The numbers start in the hundreds and have a letter after them." She pointed to it on the map. "Here it is."

Vegeta took back the paper and peered into the car engine, curious about how Earthlings got around without the ability to fly.

"Know anything about cars?" asked Bulma noticing Vegeta's interest.

"Yeah, a little," he fibbed. Earthling technology was way behind what he was used to working under Frieza, but the basic functionality looked the same.

"Well I bet you don't know a thing about this baby. I'm modifying it for air travel using a hydrogen converter for a practicum with school," she said with pride. "That's why I get to use the auto mechanics garage during school hours."

"Oh." Vegeta couldn't help being a little impressed. "Do you ever go to regular classes with the rest of us?"

Bulma laughed. "Yes, a few. My dad owns a corporation here in town, and I'm trying to get into a really exclusive university in a couple of years so I can take on the family business. School service hours in the office and this sort of stuff are really gonna help me out, come application time. What about you? Got any college plans yet?"

"Still working on it," lied Vegeta.

"That's fine," said Bulma lowering the hood of the car. "You've still got a while. You're a junior too, right?"

Vegeta nodded.

"Well, I've got to go wash up for my next class, and you better get to yours before it ends."

"Yeah," said Vegeta. He began to walk away.

"Oh hey," called Bulma from across the garage. "You should come to the home baseball game tomorrow. Everyone's going to be there. It'll be fun."

"Uh, yeah, I'll see," said Vegeta as he turned the corner. He was still looking back in Bulma's direction as she exited through the rear door, and he almost ran right into the chest of someone standing right in front of him. Vegeta stopped on a dime and took a step back, unconsciously falling into a defensive position.

Yamcha stood before Vegeta with his chest out. "You sure seemed pretty chatty with my girlfriend back there, new kid."

"Excuse me?" asked Vegeta. Surely this Earthling wasn't threatening him.

"Look, I don't like you. And I don't like the way you look at Bulma."

Vegeta cocked his head, slightly confused. What way was he looking at the guy's girlfriend?

"I don't trust you." Yamcha took an aggressive step forward, poking Vegeta in the chest. "Stay away from my girl."

Vegeta balled his fists, desperate to remain calm. "Hey, she's the one's been talking my ear off."

"And don't you insult her, you spiky-haired freak."

"Watch what you're saying, you overconfident jerk." Vegeta's temper was reaching a boiling point. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold off punching Yamcha through a wall.

"I'd watch what I was saying, if I were you!"

Vegeta laughed. "Or what? I'm not afraid of your weak hide!"

Yamcha's reserve broke and he leaned in close to Vegeta's face. He smelled like the burger and fries he had been eating during lunch. "Why don't we settle this, then? Huh? Outside the back of the auto garage after school."

"Fine by me," answered Vegeta, not giving up an inch.

"Great," laughed Yamcha. "But don't expect me to go easy on you. No one insults me and gets away with it." He punched Vegeta lightly on the shoulder as he walked past. Vegeta let his shoulder give way. "And don't chicken out, or I'll come find you myself."

As Yamcha walked away, Vegeta felt the hatred towards the human boil inside him. He was going to enjoy this.

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_What's going to happen when Vegeta and Yamcha square off? Guess you'll have to wait till next time! _

_Send me reviews!_


	3. Surprise Power

_Thanks for tuning into the third chapter of "Blending In." A big thanks to __**WildVegeta, preciousjade76, Miffinmini, XxRed-as-a-RubyxX, Lilly Moonlight, pallyndrome, **__and__** Momiji **__for reviewing chapter two._

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Chapter Three: Surprise Power

The final bell of the day rang, signaling the end of classes. Vegeta ears rang along with it. He swore his acute sense of hearing had been damaged throughout the day from the device's incessant ringing. He was happy to get away from it.

Vegeta was even happier as he strode to the back of the auto mechanics garage. The prospect of a good fight, no matter how short, got the warrior blood pumping through his veins. He highly anticipated punching the annoying Yamcha through a wall.

Word of a fight between the baseball captain and the new kid spread like wildfire from the initial spat between the two young men and the end of school. A ring of spectators was already assembled by the time Vegeta arrived. At the center of the ring, Yamcha stretched with a sloppy grin on his face, preparing for the coming battle.

The modest crowd cheered as Vegeta approached. He recognized a few faces from throughout the day, but most people were unknown to him.

He entered the ring.

"So, you decided to show up after all," said Yamcha. "I promise I'll end this quickly. I've got a practice to get to."

Someone from the crowd catcalled, sending a roar of laughter through the students.

Vegeta took off his jacket and laid it over his backpack. Then he pushed up his sleeves. Normally, fighting in such restrictive clothing would have been a problem, but Vegeta didn't anticipate much trouble from Yamcha. "I'm ready to begin if you are."

A student somewhere from behind Vegeta yelled, "Fight!"

Yamcha's initial attack came slightly swifter than Vegeta anticipated, but he allowed the human to get in one good punch, knowing he had the massive upper hand. Yamcha's right hook connected with Vegeta's face, but he barely felt it. In one fluid movement, Vegeta moved to counter, slicing a knee into Yamcha's abdomen, but his advance was cut short before it connected.

In a flash, faster than Vegeta could register, Goku was suddenly between them. He pushed Vegeta back with a force that surprised the Saiyan, who staggered back several paces. Goku stood with his back towards Vegeta, facing Yamcha in a defensive position. The crowd booed.

"Goku, leave me alone. I'm busy," Yamcha growled.

"This isn't the place, Yamcha," said Goku.

"Where did you come from?" asked Vegeta, thrown off guard. Something wasn't right.

"Didn't you see me?" asked Goku. "I pushed through the crowd."

The boy's demeanor changed since lunch, thought Vegeta. His whole body language shifted from relaxed to battle-ready, even facing down his friend.

"Goku, he insulted Bulma," argued Yamcha. He turned to face the crowd and threw up his hands, putting on a show. "I'm just defending my girl's honor!"

The crowd cheered, but with Goku between them and not budging, the fight soon appeared to be over, and people began to leave.

Yamcha faced his friend once more. "I'm not even going full power on him," he whispered to Goku through clenched teeth. The other students may not have heard, but Vegeta caught the conversation and listened more closely. "It's not like I was gonna hurt him that bad or anything."

Not going full power? Vegeta fought back a laugh. Even at four times his current battle strength, Yamcha wouldn't have the power to hurt him on his best day. Goku, on the other hand, was a different story. The boy had seemingly come out of nowhere, slipping between the two just in time to keep Vegeta from delivering a massively more powerful attack. It hadn't been enough to kill Yamcha. Vegeta didn't plan on murdering anyone at this school unless it was absolutely necessary. But it would have taught him a lesson.

With no more punches being thrown, the crowd thinned until only the fighting three remained.

"Whatever," Yamcha remarked. He picked up his things. "Don't think this is over," he added to Vegeta as he stomped away. "Goku, you're too noble for your own good. Stop getting in the way of other people's business."

As soon as Yamcha left, Goku turned around to face Vegeta, the battle-ready expression reverting back into a goofy grin.

"What made you think I wouldn't attack you?" asked Vegeta, slipping back on his jacket and picking up his backpack. "You should never turn your back on an opponent."

"Yamcha picked this fight. I think he thinks you want his girlfriend," answered Goku.

"You're not afraid I'll steal yours?" Vegeta laughed darkly.

Goku cocked his head. "Who? Chi Chi? She's not my girlfriend."

Vegeta let this comment pass. "Where did you come from? I didn't see you in the circle when the fight, if you can call it that, started."

Goku shrugged. "I heard about it and thought I should do something before someone got hurt," he said simply.

"You're not fooling me," countered Vegeta. He started to circle Goku like a shark preparing for an attack. "Who are you? You pushed me back. You knocked me off balance. You're different than the rest of these weaklings.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Vegeta dropped his backpack and rammed an elbow blow at the back of Goku's head. The teen spun quickly and caught it with the palm of his hand. In the motion of his attack, Vegeta's shirt came untucked, flipping up and exposing his tail for a brief moment.

"Is that a tail?" Goku shouted.

Vegeta backpedaled, smoothing down his shirttail. Had he revealed too much to this Earthling? "I…"

"I've got one too! Or, at least I used to. I can't really remember what happened to it…"

"Wait. What? Like this one?" Vegeta uncurled his tail from around his waist.

"Yeah! Exactly. I thought I was the only one! I didn't know other people had them too. Bulma and Yamcha told me no one else had tails!"

"Wait, wait, wait a minute," stammered Vegeta. The pieces of an unknown puzzle began to fall into place. "Kakarot?"

"What?"

"You're Kakarot? You're Raditz's brother?" Vegeta could hardly believe it. "Why didn't you finish your mission? What are you doing here?"

"Wait. Now I'm confused. What's a Kakarot? Like a carrot?"

"It all makes sense now. Your power. Your hair." Vegeta ran a hand through his own bangs. "But then what are you doing here? Why are the people of Earth still alive?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were sent here to purge the planet when you were a baby! Don't you remember your mission?"

Goku scratched his head. "Why would I kill everyone on Earth? I'm trying to protect people. Not hurt them."

Vegeta was stumped. "Did you… did you suffer a head injury or something?"

"Well, my grandpa told me I fell once as a baby. I've got a killer scar back there. Wanna see?"

Vegeta crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Yes, that would make sense. A severe enough concussion might change behavioral patterns or natural instincts. You really have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Goku laughed. "Nope. Not at all."

"I'm a Saiyan," began Vegeta. "You are too. We are a warrior race from the planet Vegeta. There's only three of us left in the universe."

"Now you sound like the one that's hit his head," said Goku. "And I thought _your_ name was Vegeta."

"It is. I'm the Prince of Saiyans. The planet is… was named after the royal family."

"Was?"

"It's gone now. Destroyed by a tyrant named Fireza. He's the one that killed the rest of our race. Your brother, Raditz, as well."

Goku sat down in the grass. "This is crazy. It's too much."

Vegeta sat down as well.

"Who's the other one?" Goku asked after a moment.

"The other? Oh, the other Saiyan," Vegeta said. "His name is Nappa. He's my guardian. We deserted from Frieza's army, and we're laying low on Earth for a little while."

"Hey," said Goku. "Can you, um, not say anything to anyone about my powers? No one really knows about it except Bulma, Chi Chi, Krillin, and Yamcha. I don't really want anyone else to find out."

"I just gushed my entire life story to you and claimed to be an alien from outer space, and now you're asking me to keep your secret?" Vegeta laughed. "Kakarot, you're too much."

"If you're an alien, I guess that makes me one too," reasoned Goku.

"Fine," said Vegeta. "If I keep your secret, then that means you keep mine too. No blabbing about anything I just told you. Not even to your friends. Deal?"

"Deal," agreed Goku. "As long as you don't call me Kakarot around them."

"I guess that's fair."

Goku punched Vegeta lightly on the shoulder. "Vegeta, I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Vegeta punched Goku back a little harder. "Don't push your luck, Kakarot."

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_How long do you think Goku can possibly go without revealing Vegeta's secret? Keep reading to find out!_


	4. Ambush and Betrayal

_I'm so thankful to all of my reviewers. You guys really help in giving me the motivation to keep updating this story!_

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Chapter Four: Ambush and Betrayal

The crisp, early morning wind twisted its way through Vegeta's clothes and hair as he flew towards West City High School. While he traveled, his mind returned to the events of the previous day, trying to make sense of what had happened. He hardly believed the incident himself. Who knew another Saiyan was living on Earth? Pretending to be a human, no less!

Nappa had been surprised to hear that Kakarot, now called Goku, was still alive. Both of them were interested to learn more about him, especially why he seemed to care so much for Earthlings. Vegeta wasn't sure if the boy was overly bright. Obviously, he didn't see what was right in front of him, especially concerning Chi Chi. The girl visibly had feelings for him, but he was blinded by an unnatural naivety.

Eventually, the sun began to rise higher in the sky, and Vegeta approached the city, forcing him to land. He touched down just outside the downtown area and began a relaxed jog to take him the rest of the way.

Soon, Vegeta saw the edge of campus in the distance.

As he passed an alleyway, a form darted out, blocking his path. It was Yamcha.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Back again?" he asked.

Yamcha grabbed a fist-full of Vegeta's shirt, pushing him into the alley. Vegeta let himself be led away from any witnessing eyes.

"I told you this wasn't over," said Yamcha, shoving the Saiyan into a brick wall.

Vegeta smirked. "If it's a fight you really want, I'll give it to you. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Yamcha towered above Vegeta. He was a full head and a half taller than the Saiyan. "No one's stopping it this time, but if you say you're sorry for trying to steal my girl, I might go a little easy on you."

"I'm sorry…" Vegeta started. "That you're so pathetic."

Yamcha's fist clutched Vegeta's shirt. He pinned the smaller boy to the wall as he slammed a punch with his other fist at Vegeta's head.

Vegeta didn't feel as gracious as he had the day before. He dodged by snapping his head to the side, easily avoiding Yamcha's fist, which collided with the brick wall.

Vegeta took the opportunity to release Yamcha's hold on him, dropping to deliver an uppercut to the taller man's gut.

Yamcha doubled over. "Why you…" The baseball captain recovered quickly, sending a flurry of punches at Vegeta. The Saiyan avoided them easily. Compared to Frieza's fighters, Yamcha's speed seemed like he was punching in slow motion. Still, Vegeta gave him credit. He was fast… for an Earthling.

Vegeta caught one of Yamcha's attacks, pulling him off balance and slamming an elbow to his face.

Yamcha fell to the ground, rolling in agony and clutching his head.

"You're outmatched," said Vegeta with his hands up. "Your overconfidence is your downfall."

Yamcha snapped a comeback as he rose shakily to his knees. "You're the one that's going down!"

Vegeta advanced, and Yamcha swept his leg, causing the prince to lose balance. Yamcha charged on top of him as he fell. His punches collided with Vegeta's face and body. But the Saiyan quickly reversed the hold and threw the human off of him. Both of them rose to their feet.

Vegeta wiped away a smudge of dirt from his cheek and smirked, breathing evenly. Yamcha could barely stand. His breathing was ragged. Winded. But despite his exhaustion, he wouldn't give it up. He charged Vegeta one last time, but the prince expected it. He countered the attack with a blow to Yamcha's temple, knocking him unconscious.

Vegeta straightened, dusting the dirt from his clothes. He bent down to get a closer look at his victim. Yamcha was covered in dirt and bruises, but his injuries weren't substantial. With a bit of rest and some ice, he would be fine.

"I actually went easy on an opponent," he said to Yamcha. "Guess there's a first time for everything. Lucky you."

It was after lunch before Vegeta saw Yamcha again. When he finally spotted him in the hallway, Yamcha was showing off a brand new black eye to a trio of fawning girls.

"I can't believe you pushed that little boy out of the path of a bus!" cried the first girl, twisting the hem of her skirt as she talked.

"You could have been killed!" squeaked a ditzy blonde in the middle.

"You're so brave," sighed the last girl, placing a hand over her heart.

Vegeta couldn't believe the scene playing out in front of him. The weakling had woven his injuries into a false tale of heroism. Vegeta hid behind a set of lockers and watched the event with interest.

"Ladies, ladies," Yamcha soothed. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm just glad that I saw the bus coming. I only wish I could have saved the little boy's balloon as well."

Vegeta gagged. The balloon was too much. There was no way anyone would believe that, would they?

"You're such a good person, Yamcha," sighed the blonde.

Vegeta felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around with a start, seeing Bulma. How did she keep surprising him like that?

"Enjoying the show?" she asked, pointing to her boyfriend's theatrics.

"He's certainly pouring on the charm," commented Vegeta. "He likes to flirt with other females."

"Yeah," grumbled Bulma. "But he gets totally jealous of any guy within a ten-foot radius of me. It's disgusting."

Vegeta chuckled an agreement.

"And there's no way he saved a kid from a bus." Bulma put her hands on her hips. "I just wonder where he got that black eye. What do you think happened, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan shrugged. "Probably ran into a pole."

Bulma giggled. "Yeah, maybe. You still coming to the baseball game this afternoon?"

For a moment, Vegeta couldn't remember what she was talking about. Then he recalled their conversation in the garage from the day before. "Yeah, maybe," he stalled.

"Cool. I'll see you there." She shook her head. "I gotta go. I can't take this any more." She walked away.

Vegeta wondered why Bulma didn't confront Yamcha. It made him ill just watching the exchange.

When the school day ended, Vegeta stood at the edge of the campus debating whether to join his new acquaintances at the baseball game. He didn't think of them as friends. Vegeta told himself he didn't have any. He didn't even count Nappa as a friend. More like a necessary partner in survival.

Bulma told him it would be fun to go to the game. Fun? Vegeta didn't have time for fun. Still, going to the baseball game would give him an opportunity to gain some more knowledge about Kakarot, if he was there. That, at least, would be a productive use of his time. And… he would get to enjoy the fruits of his short battle with Yamcha. That black eye wasn't going anywhere for at least a week.

Yes, he decided. He would attend the baseball game. Though he actually wasn't sure exactly what baseball was. Maybe it was a blood sport? Vegeta seriously doubted it.

He made his way towards the baseball stadium. But as he rounded a corner, Bulma slammed into his chest. Her blue ponytail pitched forward, getting hair in his mouth.

"Vegeta!" sobbed a tear-stained Bulma, pulling away from him. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." She wiped away tear tracks from her cheeks.

Vegeta retreated a few steps.

Bulma breathed shallowly several times. Vegeta wondered if she was about to hyperventilate.

"Uh, you all right?" he asked unsure of what to do. He had never experienced this type of situation before.

The girl's cries began again. "He was kissing her!" She fell into his chest, sobbing onto his shoulder.

Vegeta froze and felt his face flush. Why would this female run crying into his arms? "Uh…"

"Yamcha was kissing her! I can't believe he would do that!"

The dampness from her tears soaked through his shirt. He hesitantly patted her on the shoulder. "He's an idiot," he said simply.

Bulma hiccupped. She lifted her face, her blue eyes meeting his onyx ones. "You're right. He is an idiot. I should have known. I broke up with him," she added. She backed away and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Relief flooded through Vegeta as she moved away. At least she wasn't so close to him anymore. "Uh, good?"

"Yeah," said Bulma. "Yeah, I caught him kissing that blonde bimbo behind the art hallway. And I walked up to him, and I gave him a piece of my mind. And I broke up with him!"

"Then why are you so upset? If you broke off your relationship, you should be glad to get away from him." Vegeta made the statement before he realized what he was doing. He didn't want to have an emotional conversation with her. He couldn't care less about her relationship troubles with his least favorite Earthling. Why was he saying this?

"Because…" Bulma began. "Because…" She searched for a response. "Vegeta, you're right. You're right! I'm better off without that cheating jerk. Thank you, Vegeta." She stepped forward again, this time wrapping him in a quick embrace. "Thanks for listening."

Vegeta almost pushed her away from him. But the hug ended as quickly as it began.

"I don't think I'm going to go to the game after all," said Bulma thoughtfully. "I'll see you later." She walked past him with her back straight and her head held high.

Vegeta turned and watched her go. He straightened his shirt, and his hand brushed the water stains from her tears. Their heat was gone, and the damp fabric chilled his chest. "What was that about?" he asked himself.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ **

_Poor Vegeta. The female species is such an enigma._

_Read and review._


	5. Girl Talk

I can't say enough how much I appreciate every review. I love hearing responses and feedback about my stories.

Changing up the story a little this time. This chapter is more from Bulma's point of view. Enjoy.

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Chapter Five: Girl Talk

Bulma Briefs spent the next three days in a haze of uncertainty. Her recent separation from Yamcha caused a rift among her extended network of friends. She went from being the celebrated girlfriend of one of the most popular guys in school to a relative recluse, spending more time than usual in the auto mechanics garage pounding away at car engines. Her core group, consisting of Chi Chi, Goku, and Krillin remained largely unchanged. They admitted they saw the signs and supported Bulma's decision to separate from Yamcha. Vegeta still sat with them at the lunch table, but he kept his opinions to himself, whatever they were.

Bulma's curiosity about the new transfer student rose significantly on a daily basis after the pair's peculiar interaction the day of the school baseball game. She sensed a change in his attitude towards her after the event. The boy seemed agitated whenever she was around. Perhaps he was agitated all the time? Bulma wasn't sure.

She hoped for a visit from him during her time spent in the garage. But her fantasies remained unfulfilled. Her only interactions with Vegeta were around the lunch table, where he spent more time silently studying the interactions between Goku and Chi Chi than paying any attention to her.

Maybe her emotional outburst before the baseball game had frightened him? Looking back, she felt a bit embarrassed about sinking into his chest in a fit of sobs. She barely knew the boy. He might have been scared off by her inability to control herself. She wished she could get him alone so maybe they could talk about what happed. Although, Vegeta seemed more like the strong, silent type than the type of guy who gushed his emotions like a schoolgirl. Talking things out probably wasn't his strong suit.

But Bulma needed someone to talk to. She needed some girl talk.

She invited Chi Chi to her house for a sleepover. The pair had been meaning to get together for a night of B movies, junk food, and gossip for a while, and Friday night looked like the perfect opportunity.

Chi Chi agreed, pending that the two of them spend at least a little time studying for their upcoming chemistry exam. Bulma gave in to her best friend's demands. Chi Chi was the shoo-in for valedictorian of their class when they graduated the next year. She spent the majority of her free time studying for one class or another. Chi Chi's plans after high school were to get into a top university and eventually earn a PhD. in English. Bulma's strengths lay more in the scientific realm of thinking, which was fine with her. Studying chemistry with Chi Chi could be fun.

Chi Chi arrived at the Capsule Corp. residential complex just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Bulma greeted her at the door, and the two set up camp in the living room.

"So what should we do first?" asked Bulma. She held up two DVD's. "_Night of the Deadly Living_ or _Revenge of the Jocks: Part VII_?"

Chi Chi held up her chemistry book. "How about this instead?"

Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Just one hour," Chi Chi pleaded. "Then we can do whatever."

"Fine." Bulma set down the DVD's and fished her own textbook from her backpack. "Then I'm picking the first movie and it's _Night of the Deadly Living_. I'll make us some popcorn to snack on while we study."

"Deal," agreed Chi Chi clearing the table and pulling out her chair.

The two girls diligently went over formulas and chemical structure. By the time the popcorn bowl was half empty, they had studied enough to ace the upcoming test.

"Speaking of chemistry, how are you and Yamcha doing?" asked Chi Chi, finishing her last equation. "Are you on speaking terms yet?"

"Not really," replied Bulma. "He's dating Rebecca Simmons now, and I don't really want to talk to him anyway."

"He shouldn't have cheated on you."

"I know," Bulma sighed. "But it doesn't change the fact that he did. I hated it when he flirted with other girls while we were dating, but I never thought he'd actually do anything."

Chi Chi shrugged. "Goku's really mad at him."

"How are you and Goku doing?" asked Bulma, thankful for a chance to change the subject.

"I mean were still not dating or anything." Chi Chi's shoulders sagged.

"But you like him. I know you do Chi Chi."

Chi Chi rolled a piece of popcorn around with her finger. "Yeah, but I just don't know if he likes me back. He's always been really nice, but he spends so much time studying martial arts with the guys."

"You spend so much time studying for school," replied Bulma.

"I guess we do have that in common," laughed Chi Chi.

"You know, Chi Chi," started Bulma. "That dance is coming up where the girls ask the guys…"

"The Sadie Hawkins*?" Chi Chi giggled nervously. "There's no way."

"Yeah!" said Bulma. "Why don't you ask Goku?"

"I don't know." Chi Chi bit her lip.

"Just tell him food will be there, and he'll be begging to go." Bulma wanted to see Goku and Chi Chi together. She had played unofficial matchmaker all throughout high school, but so far, her plans always fell just short.

"Who would you invite?" asked Chi Chi. "You are going, right?"

Bulma felt suddenly uncomfortable. Normally, she would have the easy option of asking Yamcha. But now… "I don't know, Chi Chi."

"Well I'm not going if you're not." Chi Chi crossed her arms. "And I'm certainly not going to ask Goku if you won't even be there to help me out!" She sounded like she meant it.

"But who would I ask?"

"I don't know. Ask Krillin!"

Bulma shook her head. "No, I heard through the gossip grapevine that Eighteen is thinking of asking him."

"That robotics student? I didn't even know she liked him."

Bulma shrugged. "To each his own."

"Well," said Chi Chi. "You could ask Vegeta."

Bulma made a face. "Vegeta? Well I guess I could, but… I don't know. I'm not sure he really even likes me as a friend."

"Wasn't he the one who helped you when you caught Yamcha kissing Rebecca?"

"Um, sort of."

Chi Chi nudged her friend. "He is pretty cute."

"Yeah, but he's something else, you know?" Bulma gripped her pencil. "He's just so quiet and reserved. I can never tell what he's thinking. And I think he's been avoiding me."

"You're the one who's been avoiding everybody. We've hardly seen you all week."

Bulma crossed her arms and put her head on the table. "I've just had to think about some stuff, but I think I'm getting better now. I'm just trying to get over the whole Yamcha thing."

Chi Chi put her hand on Bulma's shoulder. "That's why I think you should ask Vegeta to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Go out and have some fun! Forget about Yamcha for a night."

"Okay. I'll ask Vegeta if you ask Goku."

Chi Chi gulped. "You drive a hard bargain, but okay. Now how about we call in some pizza and put in _Night of the Deadly Living_?"

Bulma nodded. She smiled. Chi Chi always knew how to make her feel better. She just hoped she hadn't bitten off more than she could chew with Vegeta.

Asking Vegeta to a dance was going to be a challenge. She figured they could just go as friends. Nothing serious, that is, unless he wanted it to be. She couldn't shake the feeling she had the moment she emotionally collapsed in his arms. It just felt… so right, but she didn't know why. Bulma chalked it up to the fact that any comfort he could have given her that day would make her the happiest girl in the world, compared to how crummy she felt about Yamcha's betrayal. Still, she wanted to get to know a little more about Vegeta before she asked him to the dance. She vowed that starting Monday, she would do her best to find out a little bit more about him every day.

But when Monday rolled around, Vegeta was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't find him in the halls, and he never entered the lunchroom. None of her friends could remember seeing him all day either. She wondered where he could be. And when he didn't show up Tuesday or Wednesday, she began to worry. Why hadn't he come back to school?

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ **

_Where is Vegeta and why doesn't he come back to school? Could it be that he's really a sparkly vampire taking vacation days due to sun exposure? Not a chance! But what's the real reason? Find out in the next chapter._

_*And for those who may not know what a Sadie Hawkins dance is, it's just a dance where the girls ask the guys instead of the other way around. _


	6. Sick Day

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I get so excited every time I see a new notice in my inbox. I'm so thankful for the feedback I get. I know this update took a little longer than some of the others. Sorry for the delay! I've started a new project at work, and it's eating into some of my writing time. But I promise I will not abandon this story!_

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Chapter Six: Sick Day

Another morning, another busted alarm clock.

Vegeta awoke in a panic, slamming his fist down upon the already splintered alarm clock. His eyes darted around the room, scanning for invading soldiers before he realized he had only been dreaming. No broken glass littered the floor. No laser burns riddled the walls. He could hear Nappa in the kitchen making breakfast. For the moment, he was safe.

Vegeta clutched his throat. It burned. Had he been screaming in his sleep? It wouldn't be the first time.

As he pulled back his covers, cold air hit his body, chilling it instantly. He threw on a sweater as he left the room, stopping in the hallway to adjust the thermostat, and then shoving his hands in his pockets. Why was it so cold in the house?

"Morning, Vegeta," said Nappa as the younger Saiyan shuffled past.

"I think we need to fix the heater, Nappa," said Vegeta, pulling out a chair. He sat down at the table and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. Nappa had already laid down a Saiyan-sized serving of bacon and eggs, but Vegeta looked at the meal with indifference. He wasn't really hungry.

Nappa noticed his charge's hesitation to begin eating. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, mildly concerned. It wasn't like Vegeta to not attack whatever food was placed in front of him.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine," answered Vegeta. He picked up his fork, but then put the utensil back down. "I think I'm gonna go put on some socks." He rubbed one bare foot against his leg. "Why is the house so cold today?" Vegeta rose from his seat and took a step forward, but the room went out of focus and began to spin. He reached out and caught the table, steadying himself in an attempt to regain his equilibrium. "Ugh…"

Nappa appeared at his side, supporting his other arm. Vegeta vaguely heard a metal pot hit the floor by the stove. "Whoa. What's wrong?"

"Uh, my head. I can't…"

Nappa directed his body to the chair. "Sit."

Vegeta sat. He felt Nappa's massive hand against his forehead, and tried to pull away. But Nappa kept hold of his arm with his free hand, keeping him still. "You're burning up," he remarked.

Vegeta struggled to pull away from the older man's grasp. "I'm fine," he bluffed. "I don't get sick."

"Tell that to your fever," said Nappa. "I've never felt you that warm. You said you're cold?"

"Yes, but I'm fine," repeated Vegeta. "Really. I just need to get moving. It's Monday. I'm gonna be late to school if I don't get moving." He pushed past Nappa but only made it a few paces before he lost his balance. The world slipped out of focus once more. Nappa caught him before he hit the ground.

"Bed. Now."

"I'm-"

"Yeah, I know. You're fine. Don't make me carry you."

Vegeta growled. He allowed Nappa to steer him back to his bedroom and into bed. In his current state, Vegeta wasn't sure he could have fought him.

"Stay." commanded Nappa. He left the room. Vegeta heard the water run in the sink.

"I'm not a dog," huffed Vegeta to himself. He coughed, putting a hand to his throat. It hurt.

Nappa returned with a glass of water, several pills, and a soaked small towel in a bowl of water. "Drink this and take these."

Vegeta accepted the glass of water but questioned the capsules in Nappa's hand.

"It's Earthling medicine. I took the liberty of stocking our first aid kit. I don't know if they'll have much effect, but it's worth a try." He handed Vegeta the medicine and added, "Your throat looks like it's hurting you."

Vegeta grunted. He swallowed the pills, but the water felt thick as he did so. It didn't cool the fire at the back of his throat either. He coughed, trying to clear the passage.

"Lay down. Just stay in bed today, okay?" said Nappa.

"I should go," he said, trying to push himself up, but Nappa forced him back down. Vegeta felt too tired to protest. He sank into the pillows. Nappa pulled the covers over his chest. He set the cold compress on his forehead, and Vegeta felt his face flush with shame, adding to the heat of the fever. He felt like a child.

"To school?" Nappa sat on the side of the bed. The springs groaned under his weight. "Not today you're not. You need to rest. And I thought you hated my school plan."

"Your plan sucks. But I need to learn more about Kakarot. See if he's strong enough to help me train to beat Frieza."

Nappa shook his head. "Well you can't train to beat Frieza if you can't even walk from here to the kitchen." Nappa was silent for a moment before adding, "You're right, though."

"Huh?"

"You don't get sick."

That was comforting, thought Vegeta.

Nappa adjusted the cold compress. "My guess is that this is an Earthling sickness. Something your immune system doesn't recognize. So stay in bed. We don't know what this is, and we don't know what it will do."

"I'm not…" huffed Vegeta. "Afraid of an Earthling sickness. Let it do its worst."

"Right," sighed the older warrior. "Well, I have to go to… work. This house doesn't pay for itself."

Nappa spent his days on Earth earning a living. He worked at odd jobs, making enough to pay the rent on the little house and the expensive food bill of two Saiyans; one full-grown and the other in the middle of the bottomless pit teenage years. Currently, the giant Saiyan warrior shelved books at the local library. It was an odd occupation for his companion, Vegeta thought. But then, Nappa was a little odd. At least he could reach the top shelf without a ladder. And Nappa liked it because it gave him the opportunity to research anything and everything about Earth, its customs, and its resources.

"Just promise me you'll stay in bed while I'm gone, alright Vegeta?" Nappa said.

Vegeta scowled.

"If I come back and find you outside training, you're grounded. Hear that, mister?"

Vegeta folded his arms across his chest and huffed silently.

Nappa stood. "Good. Get some rest and keep that compress wet. It'll keep your fever down. There's food in the fridge if you get hungry." He left the room, closing the door behind him, but then poked his head back in. "And drink plenty of water. You need to stay hydrated—"

"Okay, Nappa!" Vegeta yelled, balling his fists in his sheets.

"Right. I'm off to work, then."

Moments later, Vegeta heard the door close. He lay in the bed and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes followed a narrow crack in the plaster. It was going to be a long day.

He lay like that until his body heat warmed the compress, making the towel uncomfortably warm against his forehead. Vegeta sat up, catching the cloth as it slid from its position. He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, wiping off the combination of water from the compress and perspiration. His head hurt. His throat hurt. He couldn't get warm. All in all, he felt terrible. He picked up the glass of water and finished it before setting the empty glass back down on the bedside table. Vegeta found that he couldn't breathe from his nose either. The congestion forced him to breathe from his mouth.

"Ugh," groaned Vegeta as he fell back on the pillows. "What's wrong with me?" He shivered and thought of the extra blanket in the hall closet. He resolved to go get it.

Vegeta eased himself out of bed. As soon as he reached full height, the wavered, suddenly dizzy. Vegeta steadied himself by leaning on the bedside table. After a moment, he felt confident he wasn't about to pass out. Moving slowly, he shuffled out of the room and into the hallway, supporting himself on the walls as he went.

Vegeta opened the closet door and scanned the contents for the extra blanket. It lay on the top shelf, just out of reach of Vegeta's fingertips. He sighed. He hated being short. Even more, he hated being sick and having to struggle to obtain a blanket just out of reach.

Forcing himself to focus, he hovered just off the ground, enough to reach the edge of the blanket. Vegeta missed his footing when he landed, crumpling on the ground in a heap. As he fell, he kept hold of the cloth. The blanket caught several other objects on the way down, sending them cascading onto Vegeta. The falling debris of cleaning supplies, towels, and rolls of toilet paper bounced off the young Saiyan and littered the hallway.

Vegeta angrily kicked at a roll of toilet paper. It bounced down the hallway, unraveling as it went. Vegeta sat in the middle of the mess and leaned back against the wall, utterly exhausted. He was too tired to clean it up. Vegeta didn't even know if he had the energy to move the fifteen feet back to his bed. He felt like he could very well curl up in his blanket right there on the floor and sleep for a week.

Vegeta contemplated what Nappa would think if he found him sleeping in the hallway surrounded by cleaning supplies and resolved to make it back to bed, even if he had to crawl to get back there.

After waiting a moment to gather his strength, Vegeta stood slowly and made his way back to bed, dragging the blanket behind him. He collapsed on the bed and pulled the covers, including the new blanket over him.

He was still cold.

Vegeta shivered. He tried to think of a time when he felt this miserable without being seriously injured. Even after returning from his most taxing missions from Frieza, he was always able to bounce back. He usually resumed training the very day he returned. Vegeta never got sick. He couldn't remember ever contracting a disease from any planet he visited.

Then again, he and Nappa had never stayed in one place for so long before. Even when they were working with Raditz, most missions only lasted a week at the most. The two Saiyans had been on Earth for nearly a month. Something must have gotten into his system, he thought with a grimace. No telling what this disease was.

Vegeta slept fitfully.

Many of Vegeta's nightmares starred Frieza's ruthless henchman, Zarbon, who disliked Vegeta as much as the young Saiyan prince hated him. During Vegeta's employment under Frieza, Zarbon remained a constant threat, always eager to put the young prince in his place. Vegeta had lost count of how many times he ended up in the hospital bay of Frieza's ship due to injuries sustained by Frieza's green-skinned lackey.

The worst of his nightmares starred Frieza himself. His dreams kept returning to what Frieza would do if he ever found the two Saiyans hiding away on Earth. Surely the tyrant must be looking for them by now. Vegeta's subconscious fabricated gory scenarios.

The worst of his nightmares sent phantom pains throughout his body. Restraints tied him in place and limited his movements. Vegeta fought against them, unwilling to surrender.

"—geta…"

He tried to blast his way through.

"Ouch! Vegeta!"

Vegeta felt his body being shaken and a cooling sensation on his forehead.

"Vegeta, wake up!"

Vegeta bolted upright with a gasp, but firm hands pushed him back down.

"It's okay. You were having a nightmare."

At first, he wasn't sure where he was. For a moment, Vegeta expected to be back on Frieza's space ship, perhaps in the hospital bay or maybe even his barracks. But his surroundings came back into focus and Nappa's face swam into view. A scorch mark burned a portion of his left cheek. Behind Nappa's head, the wall echoed the burn. The drywall still smoldered.

"Did I?" Vegeta was hesitant to ask.

Nappa turned and looked at the damaged wall. "Yeah. But it was just a dream. Don't worry. You're safe." He placed the cold compress back in place, changing the subject. "I thought I told you to keep this wet."

"I forgot."

Nappa chuckled. "Right. I'm more interested in the pile of cleaning supplies in the hallway."

"I was cold." As if that began to explain anything. But Vegeta didn't really care. He was tired. Sleeping through the day hadn't recharged his energy at all. He felt his strength slipping away again.

"I did some research today," Nappa began.

"Hn?" Vegeta didn't feel like listening to one of Nappa's rants about the importance Earthlings placed on family reunions or theme parks or coupons. He just wanted to sleep.

"It looks like you have the flu."

"The what?"

Nappa pulled out a book with a picture of a sneezing human in the font. "You've got all the symptoms. Chills. Fever. Sore throat. Fatigue. It's an Earthling sickness, just like we thought."

"What's the cure?"

Nappa shut the book. "Bed rest."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "That's pathetic."

"And fluids and controlling your fever and—"

"Okay, okay. I get it." Vegeta sighed.

"I'll make you some hot tea," said Nappa.

The warm liquid helped to ease his throat more than the cool water did.

"So," began Nappa, after handing him the mug. "What exactly have you been learning at that school? Anything interesting?"

Vegeta should have known Nappa would take the opportunity to quiz him over what he had learned about Earth so far. "Not much. The food is terrible, especially in the cafeteria." Vegeta made a face. "And for the most part, their technology is way behind what we're used to."

"What do you mean 'for the most part?'" asked Nappa.

Vegeta shrugged. "There's one Earthling female who's figured out how to convert hydrogen into fuel for cars."

"Ooh, a girl."

Vegeta raised a hand. "Don't start. The rest of that school is bad enough with its focus on romantic relationships. It's sickening. Even Kakarot has a little harpy following him around."

Nappa cleared his throat. "A human smart enough to figure hydrogen conversion out sounds impressive."

"Yes." Vegeta nodded. "I mean… her research is impressive… I guess."

"What's her name?"

"Bulma." Vegeta thought back to his encounter with her on the afternoon of the baseball game he never attended. He just couldn't get the scene out of his head. On Frieza's ship, no one would dare get so close to him for fear of being blasted into the next dimension. Now he was the shoulder to cry on for an Earthling woman. How embarrassing. "And even she's too preoccupied with her breakup from a complete idiot to focus on more important things."

"Like what?" asked Nappa with a smirk.

"I don't know." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Like the car thing. At least that would be functional."

Nappa bit his lip and nodded an agreement.

Vegeta scowled. "I'm tired, and this conversation is stupid. I can see where this is going, and no, Nappa. I don't like her."

"I didn't say you did."

"Whatever. Leave me alone. I'm going to bed." Vegeta handed the empty mug to Nappa and rolled over, pulling the covers up to his chin in a futile attempt to get warm.

Nappa stood and turned off the light. Vegeta thought he heard him conceal a snicker.

Vegeta spent the next two days in bed. According to Nappa, his case was more severe than the average Earthling, due to previous unexposure. Vegeta hoped his normally exceedingly effective Saiyan immune system would fight off the virus quickly. He didn't plan on wasting a week or more of his time under house arrest.

On Wednesday morning, Vegeta awoke, suddenly sweltering under the covers. He pushed the pile of blankets away from his body and felt his shirt soaked through by sweat. He groaned and rolled over. The house felt like it was over one hundred degrees.

When Nappa came to check on him, Vegeta gladly accepted the compress.

"Sweating it out is a good thing," said Nappa. "It means your body is breaking the fever."

"Finally," panted Vegeta, wiping a bead of sweat dripping from his nose. "If I have to stay cooped up in here much more, I think I'm going to go crazy."

Vegeta wanted nothing more than to spend some time out of the house. He would be happy to return to school if it meant getting out of his room and into the fresh air.

On Thursday morning, Vegeta had gone nearly twenty-four hours without a fever, and Nappa cleared him for school.

With his stomach pleasantly full after the return of his appetite, Vegeta shouldered his backpack and stood in the clearing by the front yard. He breathed in the fresh morning air through clear airways and vowed never to get the flu ever again.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Long chapter! But hopefully worth the wait. I wanted to give my favorite Saiyans some bonding time and lower Vegeta's defenses a little. Perhaps Nappa suspects a budding romance? Let me know if you liked it._


	7. Secrets Don't Keep Friends

_Sorry it's been so long without an update, everyone. I've been busy with work and out of town for a bit, but I'm back and ready to write! Let's go!_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Seven: Secrets Don't Keep Friends

Thursday arrived before Bulma saw Vegeta in the school hallway as he shoveled schoolbooks from his locker into his backpack. His return came just as unexpectedly as his mysterious absence. She wondered where he had been as she stood beside an open locker.

Bulma eyed Vegeta like a hawk eyes prey. Vegeta's three schooldays absence only rekindled the mystery of the young man. She wondered if he had been ill, but he looked healthy, if a bit tired. Maybe he had gone on a trip, but to where? He had only been in school a week before his absence. Hopefully he hadn't been avoiding her like before his absence.

Bulma filed the questions away in the back of her mind. She had a task to accomplish. She had to ask Vegeta to the dance.

It should have been an easy thing to do. Go up to the boy. Ask him to the Sadie Hawkins just like she asked him to come to the baseball game. But she found it difficult, if not impossible, to put one foot in front of the other and approach him. It felt as if the days spent apart from him had driven more than just physical distance between them. Bulma couldn't even come up with a starter conversation to lead into the big question. Her palms sweated, and she wiped them on the wooly sides of her sweater. Could she really be this nervous?

Chi Chi had already asked Goku. Years of planning by Bulma, and the two finally had a date set on the calendar. If only Bulma could say the same thing.

She had to live up to her side of the bargain. Chi Chi and Goku needed to work. Bulma had spent too much time casually sneaking hints to the both of them over the years. This was the big break in the slow-moving process of their relationship, and the dance had to go off without a hitch. She needed to be there to see it through, and to get into the dance, she needed a date. She didn't want to be left behind on the night of the dance.

Yes, she probably could have asked another boy if she wanted to, but Vegeta was a puzzle in need of solving, and Bulma never left a riddle unanswered.

Boys usually flocked to Bulma. With her naturally unique hair and contagious personality, she usually had no trouble grabbing a boyfriend. The fact that her family was one of the richest in the world didn't hurt either. These traits had snagged her Yamcha. He was popular, tall, and painfully predictable. Vegeta was none of these things. He kept to himself, stood eye-level with her, and she could never fathom what he was thinking. Vegeta remained a complete mystery.

Bulma adjusted her hair and straightened her skirt. _Just do it_, she told herself_. Go up and ask him. There's nothing to be afraid of. You've talked with him before. Even invited him places._

She approached Vegeta just as the boy zipped the last compartment of his backpack closed.

"Hey, Vegeta," Bulma waved, trying to think of a starter topic. Only one question came to her mind. "Where have you been? I… we were getting worried about you."

Vegeta shouldered his backpack and shrugged. Conversation failed.

"So, um," she began haltingly. "Have you seen the banners for the Sadie Hawkins Dance?"

"The what?"

"You know… it's the dance that's coming up. The one where the girls ask the guys." Bulma ran a hand through her bangs.

"To do what?" Vegeta wasn't following her.

"You know. Dance." Bulma shifted her hips from side to side in a quick impersonation of a popular dance but instantly regretted it when she saw Vegeta look at her like she was a complete idiot. A flood of shame reddened her face, and she stopped abruptly.

"I don't do that on any occasion." Vegeta folded his arms across his chest.

Bulma pushed a bang behind her ear and laughed nervously. "Well, I'm not that great of a dancer. I was just wondering what you thought."

Vegeta tapped his foot.

"Don't you think it would be fun? Goku and Chi Chi are going on a date, and I was thinking maybe you and I…"

Vegeta's face flushed. "What makes you think I would want to go to an Earthli-… a dance with you and Kakarot… I mean Go-ku?" Vegeta's hand clenched the door, and he slammed his locker. "It's a waste of my time."

Bulma sucked in a lungful of air, turned on her heel, and marched away, leaving Vegeta in the hallway by himself. She huffed and sniffed as she walked up the next hallway and down a second, fuming. How could he think going to the dance with her was stupid? The Sadie Hawkins Dance was one of the school's longest traditions! She decided to go back to his locker and give him a piece of her mind, but when she returned, he wasn't there. He had simply vanished.

Burying her face in her hands, she slid down his locker to sit on the cold tile floor. "Stupid," she mumbled to herself. Obviously she had been right to think he had been avoiding her, but for the wrong reason. He didn't secretly like her. He hated her. Bulma threw her head back, knocking the back of it against the metal locker, but the surface behind her wasn't flat like it should be. It buckled.

Bulma turned around and saw the metal crumpled like a piece of paper where Vegeta's hand had been only moments earlier. Had it always been like that? Maybe she never noticed, but then, Bulma couldn't remember ever seeing the locker like that before. She looked at it with a questioning gaze. What was the word he had been about to use? What had he called Goku? What was going on?

"That does it," she said out loud, pushing herself back up. "I'm getting to bottom of this." Bulma only knew one other person capable to crushing metal with his bare hands, and she knew exactly where to find him between homeroom and first period.

Bulma found Goku in his usual spot, behind the cafeteria, sneaking an early morning snack during the extended ten-minute change between classes.

"Vegeta's back," she began as she approached her friend.

Goku hastily wiped a layer of crumbs off his face from a sandwich. "That's good," he said, and then added, "What's up? You look upset."

"Nothing," countered Bulma quickly. "I just, well, I wanted to know if you've noticed anything… strange… about Vegeta."

"Nope, nothing at all," replied Goku quickly. He bit back into his sandwich, finishing it in two gulps.

"I mean it, Goku." Bulma sat on an overturned box next to him. "I just asked him to go with me to the dance later this month, and he said some really weird stuff."

"You asked him to the Sadie Hawkins? You like him?"

Bulma blushed. "No! Yes… maybe. I don't know. But that's not the point, Goku. He called you, um… Kakarot? What's that mean?"

Goku's shoulders sank. "He said he wouldn't," he said miserably.

"What?"

"Ugh, never mind."

"And he crushed the side of his locker with his bare hand!" Bulma made a fist. "You're the only person I know that can do that. There's something going on here, isn't there?"

"Bulma," Goku began, but Bulma cut him off.

"And I think he almost said the word 'Earthling' when he started talking about the dance. I thought he was from overseas. Not another planet!"

Goku put a hand on Bulma's shoulder. She was shaking. "Look," he said. "I think Vegeta just needs some time to adjust here. It's probably really hard being new."

Bulma pushed off her friend's hand. "You're hiding something," she said accusingly. "You're a terrible liar, Goku. Tell me what's really going on."

Goku looked at the ground sheepishly. "Maybe you shouldn't push him right now."

Bulma stood. "Don't tell me what to do, Son Goku. If you won't tell me what's going on here, I'll find out for myself. See you later." Bulma stomped away leaving him behind.

She didn't understand. Goku was usually so honest. What could he possibly be hiding about Vegeta that required him to sneak around her?

Bulma kept a close eye on Vegeta for the rest of the day, always staying just out of sight. After school ended, she followed him away from the building, intending to catch up with him and confront him away from everyone else. But what she didn't expect in a million years was what happened when Vegeta reached the edge of town. He glanced quickly around him and took off into the sky. Flying! Bulma nearly fell over in surprise. She knew Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha had the same ability, but up until then, she thought it was a weird fluke. That all their martial arts training under Roshi had made them gain strange abilities. No one else possessed the ability to fly!

Bulma quickly took a capsule box from her purse and selected her fastest and quietest air bike. No way was Vegeta getting away that easily. She was going to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

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	8. Blackmail

_I'm back! With another chapter of "Blending In!" Thanks to everyone for getting on my case to update. I've been really busy, but I still try to find time to write. Now, onto the story…_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Eight: Blackmail

After his encounter at his locker with Bulma, Vegeta took shelter in the empty gymnasium. He sat on the bleachers and tried to gather his thoughts.

"What was that about?" he asked himself. He didn't understand her emotional reaction… or his for that matter. She had asked him his thoughts after all.

What really surprised him was his own temporary loss of control. While on Earth, Vegeta had been careful to suppress his energy and power so that he didn't destroy his surrounding. Minus several damaged alarm clocks and a scorched bedroom wall, he had done pretty well. He hadn't meant to crumple the locker door. It just seemed that being in close proximity to Bulma hindered his ability to control all of his emotions. Maybe it was just being on Earth in general. The place was too peaceful. Too serene. The last thing Vegeta wanted was for this planet to soften his heart. If he was going to avenge his race against Frieza one day, he needed to be on top of his game, not wilting under the presence of an Earthling female.

Vegeta rolled his shoulder blade, feeling the muscle stiffen under his skin. Three days in bed really took a toll on his body. He desperately needed a sparring session with Nappa to loosen him up.

At the end of school day, Vegeta followed his usual route to the edge of town and took a quick look around before blasting into the sky. His body was still tired, but he pushed the fatigue to the back of his mind and concentrated his mental power on studying combat forms. Had be been more aware of his surroundings, Vegeta would have heard the air bike start half a mile behind him and seen the flash of a blue ponytail flutter in the wind.

After a short flight over several fields and a clear lake, Vegeta arrived home. Nappa was still out shelving books, so Vegeta let himself in, dropping his backpack at the door. He abandoned his school shoes and changed into a loose pair of sweatpants, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt. Vegeta made his way quickly to the field behind the small house where he and Nappa usually trained. The surrounding woods allowed them to spar without the fear of being seen from any direction.

Nappa would be home soon, so Vegeta began to warm up without him, anticipating a high-energy sparring session to reinvigorate his muscles and general demeanor after days being cooped up in the house.

A crisp wind from the north swirled in his clothing, chilling his skin, but Vegeta knew he would be sweating before long. It just felt good to be outside. It was one thing he really did like about Earth. On Frieza's ship, all the training rooms were enclosed spaces. The industrial lighting and poor ventilation made the rooms uncomfortable and tight. The openness of this field brought new possibilities to training and a sense of freedom. He could really move around.

Midway through his series of stretches, Vegeta heard a twig snap in the woods towards the house. The quick snap broke his concentration. He wondered for a moment if Nappa had come home early, but the sight of his guardian didn't follow the sound. He straightened and watched for any sign of movement, but the swirling of the trees in the wind made it hard to pinpoint what had made the sound. It was probably just some animal. The squirrels of this planet made good target practice, but Vegeta was more in the mood for a good fight rather than a shooting gallery.

He went back to stretching.

After Vegeta decided that he wasn't going to pull anything from disuse, he moved onto basic fighting forms work up a sweat and prepare himself for when Nappa arrived.

At last, Nappa's shadow fell upon the grassy field. He must have seen the trail of abandoned clothing and school items in the house, because he arrived to the field in the same sort of loose-fitting wardrobe as Vegeta, however, he was wearing a jacket.

"You wonder why you got sick in the first place," sighed Nappa. He held a second jacket in his hand and tossed it to the younger Saiyan as he approached.

Vegeta caught the red windbreaker but didn't put the garment on. "I don't want to restrict my movement," he said. "I know we can't wear our armor in the general public, but at least here…" He motioned to the deserted field.

"Just put on the jacket. I'm not having you relapse. And no armor. That stays in your closet."

Vegeta huffed but slid on the windbreaker.

Nappa stuffed his fists into the pockets of his own jacket of worn leather. It made Nappa look like an imposing member of a bike gang. There was even a slogan on the back that read, "Don't mess with me. I'm bigger than you."

"So, feeling up to a sparring session, are we?" asked Nappa with a smirk.

Vegeta tested the movement range of his newest layer. "I don't think I've ever gone this long without some sort of exercise," he said. "I was about to go crazy being cooped up in that house."

Nappa laughed and began to stretch as well.

Within ten minutes, the two Saiyans were locked in a friendly sparring match that would have had any normal person running for the nearest military post in terror. The airborne battle ranged across the entire field. Vegeta was the faster of the two, but Nappa's bulk strength made up for his charge's quicker blows.

Vegeta knew that he possessed a large advantage over Nappa. He had surpassed Nappa in battle strength when he was much younger, but his guardian still put up a good fight. Nappa concentrated more on defense, which was fine with Vegeta. It gave him a chance to work on speed and power. He couldn't put all of his strength into fighting with Nappa without injuring him, but at least Nappa didn't make the battle easy.

On Frieza's ship, Vegeta wasn't allowed to actually spar against someone so closely matched with him as Nappa. It was either utterly destroy a weaker soldier in an unmatched fight without gaining improvement or train solo. Frieza didn't want Vegeta getting strong enough to ever become a potential threat. Limiting his training to simplified matches was an easy way to do so. At least on Earth, Vegeta could spar with another Saiyan. It was a welcome challenge.

As the sun began to dip behind the tops of the trees, Nappa was the first to slow down. "I think we're going to have to take a dinner break. What do you say?" He caught one of Vegeta's punches and redirected the younger Saiyan, throwing him off balance.

Vegeta stumbled forward but caught himself with his palms. He rolled over and sat on the grass, wiping his hands on his pants. "I guess. The sun is going down. We've been out here for a while." 

Nappa sat as well, panting as he viewed the sunset. "The days are getting longer," he said. "We'll try to train longer each day as well. You've really improved since we got here, Vegeta."

"It's still not enough." Vegeta fumbled with a blade of grass. "I think I need to start training with Kakarot as well."

"Invite him over. We'll all train together."

Vegeta leaned back in the grass and stared at the sky. "Oh joy. Then we can all be best pals."

Nappa snorted. "Come on. Let's go get some dinner."

Nappa led the way towards the pathway to the house. Vegeta peeled his jacket's material from his damp skin. His sweat made the material cling. Just as Vegeta was about to enter the woods, he heard another twig snap, just to his right. He tore off the jacket and entered a defensive stance ready to blast whatever was approaching. Then, he realized what made the noise.

"Bulma!" Vegeta lowered his hand.

"I knew it!" shouted Bulma as she emerged from the woods. "I knew there was something weird about you!"

Vegeta glanced past her to see Nappa's reaction to the intruder, but the older Saiyan merely continued to walk towards the house, waving over his shoulder as he went.

"Useless," Vegeta mumbled. He redirected his focus back to the girl in front of him. "And where did you come from? How did you find this place?"

Bulma held up her index finger in triumph. "Easy. I followed you on my air bike. Don't think you're the only one here who can fly."

"Good. Now you can fly home."

Bulma wagged her finger. "Uh, uh," she said. "Not until you agree to go to the dance with me."

"Really?" asked Vegeta. "You're still on that? No." He pushed passed her and continued up the path.

"Wait. Wait!" Bulma followed him and grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet!"

Vegeta yanked his shoulder away from her grasp. "I have other things to do with my time than get yelled at by a stupid Earthling female. Get lost," he growled.

Bulma's eyes burned with an anger Vegeta hadn't seen before. "You come to my school. Get me to break up with my boyfriend. Act all 'Oh, Bulma, you should be glad to get away from him.' And then you have the nerve to turn me down for the school dance?"

Vegeta almost took a step backwards. He hadn't seen this side of Bulma before. Her fierceness surprised him. "What?"

"And you're just like him! Just flying home through the sky." She pantomimed a jet taking off with her hand. "And fighting like some sort of b-movie character! Oh, why do I always fall for the inhuman freaks? Why me?" She collapsed on the ground.

Vegeta put his hands on his hips. "I think you're being a bit over-dramatic. And I didn't force you to do anything. You broke up with that sack of bricks on your own."

Bulma pushed herself up. She stood eye level with Vegeta. "I need a date to that dance. I'm asking you nicely. Come with me."

"No."

"Fine," Bulma laughed. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this, Vegeta, but you leave me no choice. If you won't be my date to the Sadie Hawkins, I'll let everyone know your little secret about your hidden powers."

"What makes you think I care?" asked Vegeta, exasperated.

Bulma puffed out her chest. "Oh, I think you do," she said. "I talked to Goku today, and he wouldn't tell me what was up with you. He's a terrible liar, and if he's trying to keep a secret, he's as easy to read as a book. If he didn't want me to know, it's a fair chance you told him not to tell."

Vegeta snorted. "Listen to yourself. No one would believe you. You sound crazy as it is."

"Good thing I have visual proof." Bulma pulled out a pocket-sized video camera and showed Vegeta the video of him and Nappa fighting. "This video goes out to every student's email account first thing tomorrow morning. It'll be viral by the end of first period."

"Give me that thing!" Vegeta grabbed the camera from Bulma.

"Hey!"

He crushed the device with his fist and tossed the remains back to Bulma with a smirk. "Good luck with that."

Bulma laughed. "Wow, that was unexpected. Who do you think I am? This file is already secured in three separate online file holding locations."

Vegeta was running out of options. "Then it looks like I'll just kill you now." He raised his fist, raw energy dancing across his skin.

"Oh, Vegeta. Don't be silly. I've already set the email up to send without my interaction. What do you think I've been doing sitting in the woods while you fought? Reading a teen romance?" She laughed at her own joke. "Besides, if you killed me, Goku would know. He is the last person I talked to. Good luck trying to battle that storm."

Vegeta resisted the urge to strangle the girl in front of him. How could an Earthling outmatch him, the Prince of Saiyans, in strategy? If he wanted to keep a low profile, he had only one option remaining.

"Fine." One word. One word was all it took to shatter his pride. It was insulting. He was beaten.

"Yay!" Bulma tackle-hugged him. "Oh, thank you, Vegeta!"

Vegeta pried her away from his body. "You better start home before it gets dark," he said.

"Because you care if I get lost in the darkness?" asked Bulma hopefully.

"No," Vegeta huffed. "Because I'm not giving you an excuse to stay here. Leave!"

Bulma skipped down to the edge of the path and released her air bike from its capsule. She turned to face him. The wind blew her hair in her face. "Bye, Vegeta! The dance is one month from today! I'll pick you up, and we'll all go together. You, me, Goku, Chi-Chi, Krillin, and his date. It'll be fun!"

Vegeta watched her leave. Fun. He was sure there was another word for it. Torture, perhaps? But he had to admit, she was persistent. Frighteningly so.

Vegeta slammed the kitchen door behind him as he entered the house. He flopped on the couch in the small den and groaned.

"Is she staying for dinner?" asked Nappa.

Vegeta threw one of the couch pillows at him without lifting his head. Nappa caught it before it hit the oversized pot of green beans simmering on the stove.

"She's blackmailing me into going to a dance with her."

"Blackmailing?" Nappa laughed and tossed the pillow back to the couch. It bounced off Vegeta's leg. "With what?"

Vegeta dug his fists into his hair and pulled. "She took some video of us sparring and threatened to show it to everyone she knew. Her strategy was flawless. There was no way around it."

"I can see why you like her."

"Shut up, Nappa!"

Nappa turned back to the stove and stirred the beans with a smile.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_I've been waiting to write this chapter for forever! _

_Someone reviewing the last chapter pointed out the similarities between Gohan and Videl's relationship with that of my version of Vegeta and Bulma. Haha, now there's even bigger similarities in this chapter with the blackmail. I have always really liked the Great Saiyaman Saga for the interaction between Gohan and Videl. Though I don't think Videl would have made such a fuss over a school dance. That's more of a Bulma thing. And Vegeta is a bit more… aggravated._

_Read and review!_


	9. The Sadie Hawkins Dance

_Welcome back! Looks like the big day is here. It's time for the Sadie Hawkins Dance. But what surprises lurk in the shadows? Read on to find out. _

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Nine: The Sadie Hawkins Dance

The month leading up to the Sadie Hawkins Dance passed quickly.

Goku began training with Vegeta and Nappa, but the oldest Saiyan became outmatched quickly as the younger boys' rivaling power levels rose after each training session. Vegeta admitted to himself that he could never have gained as much power as quickly alone or training with Nappa. He wondered what his father would think of him now, training with the neglected brother of a third-class warrior. But necessity was the catalyst of progress, and Vegeta was more than willing to spar with Goku if it meant an increase in power. For a third-class warrior, the boy was exceedingly powerful and showed immense adaptability in battle.

Vegeta could tell he was getting stronger. Not strong enough to take on Frieza, but maybe one day he would become so. Who knew Earth could hold so much potential?

However, school life held a different story for the Saiyan prince. As the day of the dance approached, topics of conversation became more and more limited to the big event. The whole school was a buzz. It was enough to cause Vegeta to go crazy. Mostly because Bulma kept reminding him of it with every conversation. Posters went up everywhere. Bulma even sent a pamphlet with Goku one afternoon to be placed on Vegeta and Nappa's refrigerator.

Much to Vegeta's dismay, Nappa loved the idea of the dance and thought of it as the perfect opportunity to really understand the Earthling teenage culture and get Vegeta to spend some time with people his own age outside of the classroom. He displayed the pamphlet in the kitchen with pride.

At last, the big night arrived.

"No! Nappa, I swear, I'm not wearing a tie!" Vegeta pulled the restrictive cord from his neck and threw it on the linoleum.

The older Saiyan bent to pick it up. "Come on Vegeta. It makes you look like a gentleman."

Vegeta crossed his arms, leaned on the kitchen table, and growled.

"All the other kids are going to be wearing them."

The Saiyan prince threw his arms in the air. "Do you really think I care what everyone else will be wearing? And these shoes! I'll have blisters on my feet by the end of the night."

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of Bulma and the rest of the party. Nappa moved to answer the door, but Vegeta pushed past him and sighed. "I'll get it."

As he passed his guardian, Nappa took the opportunity to noose his charge's neck with the tie, knotting the article before Vegeta could protest. "You look very handsome."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Give her this." Nappa handed Vegeta a single yellow rose from a vase on the counter.

"You've been watching too many movies from the library," remarked Vegeta. He opened the door.

Bulma stood on the porch in a square-cut party dress that hit just above her knees, patterned near the bottom with white flowers. The blue fabric of the dress brought out her eyes and hair, which hung around her shoulders with the bangs pinned back. She clutched a small, black purse in one hand and waved nervously with the other.

Vegeta faltered for a moment, forgetting what he was doing. He held the rose out to her. "Nappa told me to give you this," he said.

Bulma giggled and accepted the flower. "Thank you," she said. She glanced past Vegeta into the house and saw the larger Saiyan. "My name's Bulma. I don't think we've been properly introduced. You're Vegeta's father?"

"Guardian," replied both Saiyans at once.

"Nappa," said the older man. He came forward to stand behind Vegeta. "The one with the flower idea."

Bulma laughed. Vegeta blushed.

"Nappa, would you mind taking a picture of us?" Bulma pulled a camera from her purse. "Actually, take two. It's a Polaroid. They develop instantly. That way you guys can have one too."

Nappa accepted the camera. Bulma grabbed Vegeta's hand as Nappa raised the camera. "Smile," she said.

Nappa carefully clicked the shutter twice. Both pictures printed from the bottom of the camera.

"It's kind of an old camera," explained Bulma as the photos developed. "But you get the pictures right away. Ha ha, look at that!"

Both pictures appeared on the photo paper. The first caught Vegeta's initial shocked reaction to Bulma grabbing his hand. The second was a bit more neutral, although Vegeta's mouth never made it to an actual smile.

"I like the first one," Bulma laughed and handed the second photo to Nappa who put it in his jacket pocket. "Thank you. We better get going," she added, pulling Vegeta by the sleeve. "Everyone's waiting in the limo. Mom and Dad thought it would be fun to give us all the royal treatment!"

Vegeta glanced back at Nappa and grimaced.

"Have fun," Nappa waved.

The pair reached the limo, which was parked just down the hill. Inside, Goku, Chi Chi, Krillin, and a sharp-featured blonde already sat. Once settled, Bulma made introductions. "Okay, everybody. Vegeta's here! Vegeta, I think you know everyone accept Krillin's date. Vegeta, this is Eighteen."

Eighteen nodded. Vegeta remembered seeing her at some point in one of the hallways during class change. She gave off an air of intelligent disinterest. He was curious why she chose to invite Krillin.

Bulma continued. "Eighteen is one grade above us. She's already attending part time classes at Orange Star University studying robotics."

"Dual enrollment," said Eighteen coolly.

"Bulma, I'm so excited your parents thought of a limo," said Chi Chi. Vegeta could see her sitting hand in hand with Goku on the seat across from him. He wondered what it was about dances that made the two Earthling girls so clingy.

Bulma nodded proudly. "It's a part of a new line of luxury prototypes Dad is designing."

At last, the party arrived at the school gymnasium. Inside, the structure looked much different than it had the day Vegeta took shelter in it after refusing to go to the dance with Bulma. In fact, he hardly recognized it. Crate paper hung from the ceilings beside bundles of multi-colored balloons. Music pulsed from the sound system, and flashing lights made it difficult for Vegeta to keep his concentration on any one thing for too long. The crowd of dancing teenagers brought a sense of unease as well. All and all, Vegeta felt uncomfortable. Unsure of what exactly to do. Chi Chi and Goku were already on the dance floor, hopping up and down like monkeys. Vegeta missed where Krillin and Eighteen had slipped off to. Bulma stood beside him, watching him take in his surroundings.

"You've never been to a dance before, have you?" she asked sincerely.

"No," replied Vegeta.

"Do they not have them where you're from?" she asked.

"They do not. It's all very… loud."

Bulma laughed. "Yes, that's kind of the point. Are you thirsty? We could go get something to drink."

Thankful for a chance to retreat from the nearby dance floor, Vegeta agreed. Bulma grabbed each of them a glassful of punch. As they were turning away from the table, Bulma stopped suddenly, nearly spilling her drink. "Great."

Not more than ten feet in front of them, Yamcha and his newest girlfriend, the blond he had been kissing behind the art hallway, were making out in the corner.

"Ugh," sighed Bulma.

At that moment, the couple separated, and Yamcha noticed Bulma and Vegeta standing there. "Hey, Babe," he called, evidently proud of being caught in the act. "I see you made it to the dance after all."

"You didn't think I would find another date besides you?" Bulma asked haughtily.

Yamcha propped his elbow on the wall. "If you consider the freaky new kid a date. I guess your options were pretty limited."

"For your information, Vegeta is ten times the boyfriend you'll ever be!" Bulma snarled. She turned on her heel and marched towards the back door, slamming her cup into the trashcan as she left.

Vegeta watched her retreating frame, deciding if it was worth it to go after her. With her volatile temper, she just might wind up picking a fight with a tree. He left Yamcha and the blond behind.

Outside the building, the music dampened so that the words and beating drums were muffled. Vegeta found Bulma sitting on the grassy hillside behind the gymnasium. She wiped tears from her face as he approached. He stood beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't let it ruin your evening," said Vegeta. The phrase popped out of his mouth before he could temper it.

Bulma looked up at him and patted the grass beside her. He crouched, not sitting all the way.

"I'm not your boyfriend, you know. You are blackmailing me to come to this with you."

Bulma laughed. "Sorry about that," she said. "I don't know why I said it."

Vegeta changed the subject. "The grass is wet. You're going to get the back of your dress damp if you stay there."

Bulma nodded and stood. She dusted herself off and checked the back of her outfit. "Wanna go watch Goku and Chi Chi bounce around like idiots?"

Vegeta snorted. "Sounds like fun."

The pair reentered the building and sat on the bleachers facing the dance floor. Goku and Chi Chi remained in the center of the large crowd dancing in time to the music.

"I've been trying to get them together for forever," explained Bulma. "Chi Chi said she would only invite him if I brought someone. It was right after I broke up with Yamcha."

"That's why this was so important to you?"

Bulma nodded.

"That's pathetic." Vegeta leaned back in the bleachers watching Goku and Chi Chi dance. The pair looked like they were having a good time. A goofy grin took up the bottom half of Goku's face. "They dance like children."

"I suppose you could do better."

"Right," he sneered sarcastically.

"Alright. Prove it." Bulma grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor. "I know you said you don't dance," she laughed over the music as it changed to a slower tune. "But it's easy. Try it anyway."

She started moving in time with the music, pulling Vegeta along with her. At first he stood still, unsure of her movements and what exactly was going on. She began to creep closer towards him so that his hands rested on her hips and her hands linked behind his neck. For a moment, he found himself lost in her eyes. Never in his life had anyone looked at him with the trust and sincerity as Bulma did at that moment. Vegeta felt something unexpected and very unlike his warrior's nature. Attachment? Longing? But for what? Before he could figure it out, the song ended and the moment was over.

Bulma pulled away as the music picked up pace.

"I'm going to go grab a drink," she said, slightly out of breath. "I didn't actually drink any of the last one."

She left him at the edge of the dance floor. Vegeta exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe high school dances weren't so bad after all.

He was about to go back to sit on the bleachers and wait for Bulma when an explosion flared, blowing apart the stage at the front of the gymnasium.

The music screeched to a halt. People ran in every direction.

A figure floated in over the debris. As the smoke began to clear, Vegeta realized exactly who the stranger was.

Fireza's right-hand man. Zarbon.

Zarbon landed with a flourish of his cape upon the remnants of the stage floor. His eyes scanned the crowd until he found the face he was looking for.

"Ah, Vegeta. What a pleasant surprise," he called. "And what is that getup you're wearing?" The green-skinned alien laughed. "Did you lose a bet?"

Most of the teenagers and faculty at the dance scattered from the gymnasium through any exit available. Soon, the only people left were Vegeta, Goku, Chi Chi, Krillin, Eighteen, Yamcha (whose date had vanished) and Bulma. They stood before the broken pieces of the stage in a defensive semi circle.

"Who are you supposed to be?" challenged Goku.

"No one of your concern if everything goes smoothly," replied Zarbon, not taking his eyes away from Vegeta. "You wouldn't want to end up like little Vegeta's nanny."

Zarbon lifted his arm, revealing a tattered, bloodstained leather jacket.

"Nappa!" Vegeta growled. "What did you do to him, Zarbon?"

"Vegeta, you know this guy?" asked Goku.

"Oh, look, you've made friends," remarked Zarbon. "Our Vegeta here is a little runaway, aren't you?"

"What did you do to Nappa?" shouted Vegeta.

"Disposed of, for the moment, although I applaud him on his unwillingness to tell me your location. Honestly, Vegeta, if you are going to go into hiding, don't leave pamphlets about your daily activities in your kitchen." Zarbon laughed.

"How did you find us?" yelled Vegeta.

"Dumb luck, really," began Zarbon. "I've been on your trail since you left. You've done a decent job of lying low. Fortunately, I stopped by this solar system's sun to refuel my ship and picked up quite a strange power reading on my scouter while passing this planet. I just had to check it out for myself. One in a million chance, really."

"He's an alien," said Krillin.

Zarbon shrugged his shoulders. "Sadly, the big oaf destroyed my scouter before I had the chance to relate my location and discovery of you two back to Lord Frieza."

"So Frieza doesn't know you're here?" asked Vegeta, smelling an opportunity.

"This part of the galaxy, yes. But an exact location? No. Although I wouldn't worry about it, Vegeta. He'll be informed soon enough. Now, you can either come with me willingly, or we can make this difficult." Zarbon spread his arms. "Your choice."

"Not while I have breath in my body." Vegeta sank into a defensive crouch. Zarbon may have been able to utterly destroy him several months ago, but he was banking on his recent training to at least let him defend himslef. At the very least, there was the advantage of his own raised power level being unknown to the scouterless Zarbon.

"Well, Lord Frieza did specify that I should try to return you to him alive," Zarbon mused. "Though in what capacity, he failed to say. I'm sure he has a very thorough lesson to teach you when you return."

"You leave him alone, you green jerk!" Bulma yelled from behind Vegeta. She threw one of her flats at the alien's head. It bounced off his deeper green hair.

Zarbon shifted his gaze. "Spunky. Well, let's get this over with then." The older soldier rushed forward. Vegeta braced for the attack but realized a fraction of a second too late that it was not intended for him.

Vegeta saw Zarbon flash by him in a blur and scoop up Bulma by her waist, knocking her unconscious with his other hand. Zarbon flew to the ceiling and turned, holding Bulma tightly. He faced the remaining fighters. "Oh, Vegeta. She's pretty." Bulma's head rolled to one side.

"Leave her alone, Zarbon!" Vegeta shouted. "She doesn't mean anything to you."

"You're right. She doesn't," replied Zarbon. "And it wouldn't phase me in the least to kill her. But I think she does mean something to you."

Vegeta growled, clenching his hands into fists.

Zarbon reached into the front of his armor and removed the Polaroid of the two of them taken earlier that night. "I found this in Nappa's pocket. You two make a cute couple."

"What do you want with her?" yelled Goku. Chi Chi stood beside him, shaking.

"Not much," admitted Zarbon. "Just making my trip interesting. It's not often that Vegeta lets his guard down enough to be taken advantage of like this. Vegeta, I'm going to take your girlfriend to the park at the edge of this city. If you'd like her to survive our date, you can come trade your freedom for hers. You have one hour."

Zarbon discharged an energy blast, blowing a hole in the ceiling. The explosion sent debris and dust cascading onto the floor below, blocking the group's vision. Goku shielded Chi Chi from a falling light. It bounced off the Saiyan, leaving him unhurt.

Zarbon had vanished, taking Bulma with him.

"The park. What's the park at the edge of town?" Vegeta asked. He was shaking with anger. Zarbon had taken complete advantage of his weakness.

"Fossil Park," answered Chi Chi. "That direction." She pointed to the south.

"Wait," said Krillin. "We need to think about this. Who was that guy?"

"Zarbon. It's a suicide mission." Vegeta clenched his teeth. "He's stronger than all of us." Vegeta knew what he had to do, and he couldn't believe he was willing to do it. "I'll give myself up. It's the only option."

He couldn't keep running. With Nappa gone, the last part of what he could call family was gone as well. He had no way to get off the planet. It was only a matter of time until Zarbon tracked him down. At least this way, he could hopefully save Bulma's life in the process. Perhaps his death at the hands of Frieza would be quick. He seriously doubted it.

Vegeta felt a hand on his shoulder. "Not if we work together." Goku spoke. "Vegeta needs our help. We all have to work together if we're going to get Bulma back, right Vegeta?"

"Kakarot."

"If not, than all the training we've been doing would be for nothing," Goku smiled. Vegeta nodded.

"Hold on," said Krillin. "Goku, you've been going over to his house all this time? Why didn't you tell us?"

"There's a lot we need to explain, Krillin, but there's no time right now," said Goku. "I promise, if it's alright with Vegeta, I'll tell you all about it a little later, okay?"

"Okay." Krillin turned to Eighteen. "Sorry to get you all mixed up in this. This part of the evening was a surprise to me as well."

"Your friends certainly know how to crash a party," said Eighteen. "But I think I'll stay here."

"That would probably be best," said Krillin.

"Goku, I want to go with you," said Chi Chi, reaching out and grabbing his hand.

"I know Chi Chi, but I'm sorry," he answered. "If this guy is willing to use Bulma against Vegeta, then he'd have no trouble doing the same to you against me. I think it's best if you stay here. We'll bring Bulma back, I promise."

"Just be safe, okay?" said Chi Chi. She stepped forward and hugged him. "I love you."

Goku returned her embrace. "I love you too." He turned to face Vegeta and Krillin. "Ready?"

"Wait!" Yamcha ran forward. "You guys don't think you're going anywhere without me?"

Vegeta snarled at him.

"You're right," began Yamcha. "I've been a jerk. To Bulma and especially to you, Vegeta. But Bulma means a lot to me too, and I'd like the chance to make it right. Truce?" He offered his hand.

Vegeta hesitated and then reached out and shook. He knew the group was going to need all the help he could get if planned to get out of this in one piece. Vegeta addressed the group. "But you all have to understand. This isn't a martial arts tournament. Zarbon isn't going to fight fair. I'm sure you realize that by now. Be on your guard."

Everyone nodded.

Vegeta led the way into the night sky, followed by Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. If it was a fight Zarbon wanted, it was a fight he was going to get.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Whoa. Stuff just got real. _

_Gosh, there was a huge shift in this chapter from fluffy romantic comedy to high-stakes action. Probably the biggest single shift I've ever written. Was it unexpected? Let me know if you were surprised and if you liked it. Also, this is the longest chapter in this story so far._

_I will let you guys know that I sat at my computer for a day and a half crafting this chapter and going "Awwwwwww!" every time I wrote something adorable. Anyone who heard me probably thought I was nuts._

_If you want some artwork dedicated to this chapter (character outfits/Zarbon's arrival), head on over to my DeviantArt page and check out:_

chikara-san(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Art-Dump-9-DBZ-Galore-259391491

And coming soon are the snapshots Nappa took with Bulma's camera. Vegeta's face in my mind is priceless. I have to share it with someone!


	10. The Battle

_Welcome back to "Blending In." Let's jump right in, shall we?_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Ten: The Battle

The journey to Fossil Park passed quickly. Vegeta took the opportunity of the brief flight to prepare himself for the coming fight. He knew that the only chance of survival was to defeat Zarbon. Letting the fighter escape wasn't an option. At this point, it was either kill or be killed. He only hoped the others grasped the severity of the situation.

Vegeta already knew Yamcha's substandard fighting capabilities from their altercation more than a month before. Krillin's power remained unknown, but Vegeta wasn't banking on any miracles coming from him. That left himself and Goku as the main offensive powers for the coming battle. He hoped it would be enough.

The group reached the main gates of the park and took cover in the shadows of the trees lining an open field.

"There he is," said Krillin, squinting into the darkness.

In the center of the open area, Zarbon stood with his back to the fighters. Bulma lay curled on her side at his feet, still unconscious.

"Maybe if we all rush him at once, we can take him by surprise," suggested Yamcha.

Vegeta scoffed. "He knows we're here, even without his scouter. He probably heard us land." He toed off his dress shoes and socks, feeling the dirt shift organically beneath his feet. The restrictive footwear would only slow him down. The other fighters did the same.

Vegeta removed his tie for the second time that evening. As he threw the object into the dust, he felt a pang of regret. He had lost his mentor without ever getting to say goodbye. Vegeta clinched his fist in anger. Nappa wouldn't have stood a chance against Zarbon. Even faced with death, Nappa had still defended Vegeta, unwilling to give Zarbon his location.

"So what now?" asked Krillin, breaking the silence. "Do we have a plan or what?"

Vegeta eyed the space for options. Zarbon held the advantage in strength and power. They had lost the element of surprise. He could tell Zarbon knew they were there by his stance. He was just waiting for them to make the first move. "See anything we can use?" he asked the other three.

"The lights are all off," said Goku, looking upwards at racks of large bulbs supported by poles encircling the field. "Whenever Chi Chi and I come here at night, the lights are on. They must keep them off if the park is closed."

"Lights?" Vegeta glanced around, looking at the poles. He found the control box a few yards away. "That's it! Kakarot, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're a genius."

"Really? Awesome!" Goku scratched the back of his head. "Why am I a genius exactly?"

"I get it," said Krillin. "We can reclaim our element of surprise if he's blinded and doesn't know where the attack is coming from."

"Exactly," said Vegeta, making his way to the control box. He crushed the lock in his palm and opened the door, revealing one large switch. "Yamcha will throw the switch. When he does, Krillin, get Bulma away from Zarbon. Kakarot, you and I will rush in from opposite ends of the field and attack him simultaneously, got it?"

The three fighters nodded in unison.

"Right," said Vegeta. "Here goes nothing."

Yamcha threw the switch. The lights blasted on, filling the field with harsh light.

In the middle of the field, Zarbon shielded his eyes from the sudden light. This gave Krillin the opportunity to rush forward and grab Bulma, flying her to safety. At the same time, Vegeta and Goku rushed Zarbon from different directions, catching him off guard.

Each of the Saiyans got in a few solid punches before Zarbon's eyes adjusted. Then, the real fight began.

Zarbon wheeled around, catching Goku with an elbow and sending him flying. Vegeta unloaded an energy blast into Zarbon's exposed side, but the soldier bounced back returning the favor. Both Saiyans skidded to a stop on either side of Zarbon.

A month's-worth of training with Goku had improved Vegeta's fighting prowess, but he still wasn't capable of taking on Zarbon by himself. However, the efforts of both Vegeta and Goku combined proved a formidable offense against the green-skinned alien. Their unexpected advantage surprised Vegeta.

Zarbon tucked a wayward hair behind his ear. "Very impressive, Vegeta," he said. "I can see you've been practicing, but it's your little friend here that really surprises me. You're a Saiyan too, are you not?"

Goku opened his mouth to speak, but Vegeta cut him off. "Don't answer him, Kakarot," he said.

"Vegeta," Zarbon pouted. "I was only trying to make conversation. Really now. Kakarot, is it? I believe Frieza's army is a few Saiyans short since little Vegeta and his nanny deserted. I can see you have quite the potential as a fighter. Care to join the winning team?"

"Sorry," replied Goku, sinking back into a defensive position. "I'm already on the winning team."

Zarbon shrugged. "Your loss." He launched forward, striking at Goku's chest.

Goku retreated as he blocked Zarbon's attack. Vegeta flew forward, aiming a flurry of punches at Zarbon's exposed back. The soldier spun around, slicing an uppercut into Vegeta's jaw. The Saiyan flipped backwards as his vision blurred.

Vegeta shook his head, clearing the black from the edges. He stood, raising his hands just in time to block an energy blast from a charging Zarbon. Goku lay crouched on the ground a few yards away, recovering from a similar attack.

Vegeta hadn't expected to take on Zarbon and remain standing for more than a few lucky punches. Yet here he was, several minutes into the fight and still upright. That revelation gave him the boost he needed to recover quickly. He charged at Zarbon again.

Vegeta blocked Zarbon's counter and delivered his own blow before the green alien could knock him back again. But before Zarbon could attack Vegeta, Goku leaped back into the fight.

Vegeta took a moment to glance in Bulma's direction. Sometime after the fight began, she had regained consciousness. She now stood barefoot in the grass between Yamcha and Krillin, cheering the two Saiyans on. Their eyes locked. "Go get him, Vegeta!" she yelled.

"That will be enough from the peanut gallery," snarled Zarbon, firing a blast in Bulma's direction. Vegeta flew to intercept it, knocking the ball of energy into a nearby tree.

"Stay away from her," yelled Vegeta. He rushed forward, sending a barrage of attacks into Zarbon. The alien couldn't block them all.

Zarbon retreated to the other edge of the field to recover. "You two little Saiyans are rather annoying pests, aren't you?" he said, breathing heavily as he wiped a trail of blood from his chin. "I think it's time to take it up a notch and finish this spat quickly."

"What does he mean?" asked Goku.

"I don't like to do this very often," said Zarbon. "You see, I'm very fond of my looks, and this transformation is quite hard on the eyes."

"Kakarot!" yelled Vegeta. "Don't let him transform!"

But it was too late. Zarbon suddenly doubled in size, adding bulging muscle to his lean frame. His face expanded and hardened. He launched himself at Goku, smacking him into the ground with one hit. The Saiyan didn't get back up.

"Your turn, Vegeta!" laughed Zarbon, darkly.

Vegeta did his best to deflect Zarbon's attack, but the added power of his advanced form overcame Vegeta's defenses. The soldier landed several deep punches into Vegeta's abdomen before slamming him into the dirt as well.

Struggling to get up before Zarbon attacked again, Vegeta pushed himself off his knees. How did this transformation allow Zarbon to become so much more powerful so quickly? This gap in power between the two of them felt more like it did when Vegeta was still a child, and Zarbon would pick on him in the corridors of Frieza's space ship. Just because he could. Where had Vegeta's advantage gone?

Zarbon slammed a knee into Vegeta's abdomen, knocking more than just the wind out of him. Vegeta's vision blurred, and he fought to focus. He heard Zarbon laughing behind him, preparing for another attack.

Spinning around to face his opponent, Vegeta fired an energy blast at Zarbon's head, but the soldier deflected it easily, backhanding Vegeta's jaw in the process and sending him flying.

Vegeta landed several yards away, righting himself just in time to see one of Zarbon's own energy blasts hurtling straight towards his chest. Vegeta ducked to the side, but he didn't have the speed to dodge it completely. The beam of raw energy sliced through the side of his abdomen, sending a wave of pain throughout his entire body. Vegeta cried out, doubling over on the ground. He heard Bulma scream his name.

As he fought the darkness obscuring his vision, Vegeta struggled to shake off the attack. He lifted his head to see Zarbon poised to deliver a finishing blow. Vegeta prepared for the worst, but as Zarbon lifted his hand, Goku charged his side, knocking the hulking warrior off-balance.

While Goku occupied Zarbon for a moment, Vegeta made it to his feet, clutching his side. Zarbon's blast had missed his vital organs, but most the flesh on Vegeta's right side from his armpit to his hip could best be described as "extra crispy." Blood seeped into the fabric of what remained of his tattered shirt.

Goku went down again from a powerful punch, and Zarbon once again turned his sights on Vegeta.

"I'm getting tired of this fight, Vegeta," said Zarbon. "How about we call it a night, and you come with me? Lord Frieza has a lesson to teach you about abandoning responsibility."

Vegeta groaned. If he could stall Zarbon for a moment, maybe he could get his breath back.

As Zarbon strode forward, he prepared another attack. Vegeta saw his eyes dart in Bulma's direction and realized, just like in the gym, this attack wasn't meant for him.

Vegeta ran to intercept Zarbon's energy wave, sliding in front of Bulma and blocking her body from the attack with a blast of his own. The explosive heat from the collision of the two attacks blew Vegeta, Bulma, Yamcha, and Krillin backwards.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Vegeta fought to stay standing. The amount of energy needed to block Zarbon's blast was more than he had anticipated. Vegeta could see Zarbon through the smoke, laughing.

Vegeta turned to face Bulma and the others. "Get out of here," he yelled. "You're only getting in the way." He heard Zarbon's footsteps coming closer, but Bulma and the others stood frozen in place. "Run!" he commanded.

The urgency in his voice finally registered, and Krillin nodded, pulling Bulma with him back into the tree line. Yamcha followed. Their retreating frames faded into the darkness.

As Vegeta turned to face Zarbon again, the soldier grabbed him by the hair, snapping his neck back. Zarbon threw him across the field. Before Zarbon could get the idea to follow Bulma and the others, Vegeta launched a series of blasts at him. This got Zarbon's attention. He rushed Vegeta with a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Vegeta ducked in time, but Zarbon swerved around, too fast for Vegeta to register, and landed an uppercut into his back.

Vegeta pitched forward, unable to catch himself as he fell to the ground. He lay there for a moment, feeling the dirt scrape against his cheek in time with his shallow breathing and the pain in his back and side. Blood smeared the side of his face. Vegeta could see Goku, still down for the count, on the other side of the field.

Vegeta was utterly alone.

Zarbon kicked Vegeta savagely in the back, sending him flying to land fifty feet away. Vegeta lay in the dirt, listlessly watching though half-lidded eyes as Zarbon charged a final energy blast. He could barely focus, and there seemed to be two Zarbons instead of one. Vegeta knew that he had to get up if there was any chance of surviving the next attack, but he just didn't have the strength to do it.

Zarbon fired. The light from the blast blinded Vegeta, and he shut his eyes, bracing his mind and body for the end. He wouldn't give Zarbon the satisfaction of hearing him cry out when the attack hit.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Cliff hanger! Is this the end of Vegeta? _

_By the way, I've been asked by a couple of people if they can do fanart for this story. The answer is a resounding, "Yes, please!" If you do create fanart, send me a link, and I'll post it on my profile._


	11. Sacrifice

_I'm so thankful for all the reviews I've been getting for this story! After ten chapters, this piece has gotten 117 reviews! Thanks everybody!_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Eleven – Sacrifice

Vegeta, shut his eyes, bracing his mind and body for the end. He wouldn't give Zarbon the satisfaction of hearing him cry out when the attack hit. But the searing pain Vegeta expected didn't come. Instead, a massive shadow crossed in front of the light of Zarbon's attack at the last possible moment.

Vegeta opened his eyes.

Shielding Vegeta from Zarbon's fatal attack with his own body was Nappa, alive but severely injured. Vegeta could only see his guardian's back from his current position, but Nappa sported numerous wounds from his previous encounter with Zarbon. His shirt hung in tatters around his upper body, and the bruises from earlier in the night had already begun to darken.

Zarbon ceased his blast, and Nappa fell forward into the dirt with a groan.

The shock of seeing his guardian alive snapped Vegeta from his frozen state. Ignoring his training to never take his eyes off of an opponent, Vegeta crawled quickly to the fallen warrior's side. He rolled Nappa onto his back. The older warrior grimaced. A large portion of his chest had been heavily damaged in the attack.

"Nappa!" Vegeta cried. "What are you doing here? I… I thought you were dead."

Nappa chuckled, but his laughter quickly turned into a cough. Blood leaked from the side of his mouth. "I'm not… that easy to get rid of."

"But I thought…" But Zarbon never actually claimed to have killed Nappa, did he? Vegeta had only assumed the worst. After all, with what Zarbon was capable of, Vegeta hadn't suspected that his guardian could have made it out of a fight alive.

"Don't worry about that, Vegeta," said Nappa. "Zarbon. Defeat him."

Vegeta shook his head in shame. "No, Nappa, I can't. He's too much."

With considerable effort, Nappa turned his head to face his young charge. "That's not the Vegeta I know," he said, his words full of conviction.

Vegeta lowered his gaze, not willing to look Nappa in the eyes. Instead, he focused on the wound on Nappa's chest. It looked bad. Really bad. Much worse than Vegeta's own injury on his side. It had hit full force. Nappa hadn't even tried to protect himself from the attack.

Nappa lifted his hand and pointed weakly toward Zarbon.

Vegeta followed Nappa's gesture. Zarbon clutched his own chest, staunching a flow of blood. Napppa must have taken the full damage from Zarbon's attack instead of defending himself to deliver his own finishing blow. It wasn't enough to kill Zarbon, but from the look of it, it had weakened him significantly.

Nappa's breathing became shallower as his strength slipped away. "I promised your father that I would look after you no matter what, even if it meant my own life."

Vegeta's head snapped up in response. He couldn't lose Nappa. Not twice in one night. And not like this. "No. Nappa, you're going to be fine."

"You've grown so much," said Nappa, almost as if he hadn't heard Vegeta. "You're so much more than Frieza ever thought you could be."

Vegeta clutched Nappa's arm. "Please don't leave me." He hastily wiped away the tears that threatened to roll down his cheeks. "Please."

As his eyes closed for the final time, Nappa smiled. "You've made me proud," he said. And then, he was still.

"No," Vegeta whispered, unwilling to believe what he had just witnessed. He could hear Zarbon laughing a short distance away. "No!" he shouted. This time, he couldn't wipe the tears fast enough. They spilled down his face and onto the ground, mixing with the dirt.

"It took that filthy monkey long enough to die," said Zarbon darkly. The blood flow from his wound was beginning to lessen.

"You," said Vegeta, rising to his feet and focusing all of his attention on Zarbon. "You did this." With Nappa gone, Vegeta had no family left. Even if they weren't related by blood, Nappa had been more of a father to the young prince than his own biological father had been. He had practically raised him. And now, he was gone. Thanks to Zarbon. The alien was going to pay for this with his life.

"It looks like I should have been more thorough earlier tonight," said Zarbon. "I won't make the same mistake with you, Vegeta."

A switch snapped within Vegeta's mind. A rage boiled inside him unlike anything he had ever felt before. He felt his own power surge as he allowed himself to be swallowed by an aura of his own energy. He rushed forward and rammed his fist into Zarbon's jaw.

The soldier staggered backwards, thrown off guard by the attack.

"How dare you, you little ape!" screeched Zarbon. He countered with his own punch, but Vegeta dodged, teeth clenched in concentration. "What?" Zarbon yelled. He put a hand to the wound in his chest. "The big oaf's attack must have done more damage than I thought—"

But his words were cut short as Vegeta slammed a vicious kick into Zarbon's side. The soldier retreated several yards in pain.

"What is this?" asked Zarbon in disbelief. "Your power level was next to zero a few moments ago."

Vegeta growled as he fought for control over his berserking anger. He didn't know how much longer he body could stand the power he currently channeled, but he was determined to defeat Zarbon by the time it ran out.

Fueled by his newfound power, Vegeta attacked Zarbon with full force, pounding him into the ground with a barrage of energy blasts. With strength he didn't even know he possessed, he ground Zarbon's body into the dirt. The older alien was barely able to defend himself as Vegeta pushed through his defenses, trading blow for blow with Zarbon.

At one point, Zarbon launched a powerful counterattack, which threw Vegeta off of him.

Vegeta stood back up purposefully as Zarbon collected himself.

From the corner of his eye, Vegeta could see that Goku had regained consciousness during recent developments and was now gaping at the fight like he was staring into a shark tank at feeding time.

"What are you looking at, Kakarot?" Vegeta challenged, wearing a sinister smile. "Ever seen the power of a true Saiyan warrior?"

Goku clutched his arm awkwardly at his side. It was undoubtedly broken from the last of Zarbon's attacks. "Vegeta, look out!" he yelled.

Vegeta turned in time to see Zarbon's fist collide with his face, but he barely felt the blow. He wasn't sure if this was due to his newfound strength or a side effect of the massive amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Or maybe a combination of both. For the moment, he couldn't feel the pain from any of the injuries he had sustained during the evening. He was certain he had gained quite a few in the last few minutes.

Instead of going down after the hit, Vegeta fought back with one of his own, slamming a knee into Zarbon's abdomen. The older warrior's stamina was beginning to dwindle. Vegeta could tell the end of this fight was fast approaching.

After several more devastating attacks from Vegeta, Zarbon didn't get back up when he landed with a crunch in the field. He breathing was ragged, and blood leaked from multiple wounds on his chest, head, and side.

Vegeta, equally bloody, stood before Zarbon and raised his hand. Fear and hatred mingled in Zarbon's eyes, but no one was coming to save him. Zarbon didn't have someone like Nappa.

Vegeta fired, and Zarbon's body dropped like a rock. It was over. Vegeta had won. Though victory was not without its losses, Vegeta reminded himself, looking across the field to where Nappa's body lay.

"Vegeta! You did it!" Goku approached from across the field, still clutching his damaged arm. "That was amazing. Where did all that power come from?"

"I… I don't know." The massive energy flow he had felt only moments before began to fade away, replaced by a frightening weariness and a radiating pain in his side. He covered the area with his hand, feeling a slippery dampness. Vegeta brought his hand back up to find it covered with blood and charred flesh. He lost his balance and sunk to one knee with a grunt.

"Hey, you okay?" Goku must have finally seen the wound because he was at Vegeta's side instantly.

Vegeta's vision began to blur as his eyes wandered past Goku towards the edge of the field where he could just make out the forms of Bulma, Krillin, and Yamcha as they approached at a run. But what were they running for now? They should have run further away earlier. He should have known Bulma wouldn't have gone far enough away from the fight to avoid danger if Zarbon had decided to follow them. Stupid.

As his strength slipped away, the ground rushed up to meet him, and he felt the grass brush against his face. Vegeta heard Bulma call his name as his world went dark.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Before everybody gets their panties in a twist. No. Vegeta did not go Super Saiyan. And there's a reason why I didn't let him make this transformation. It's simply not time for him to do it yet. While losing Nappa is a huge emotional blow, his body isn't yet strong enough to allow a Super Saiyan transformation. After all, he barely has the power level to defend himself again Zarbon's transformed state. Think of the power up Vegeta experiences as more of a release of dormant energy brought out by a surge of emotion. Kind of like what Gohan used to experience before he learned how to properly control his power. Since Vegeta spent the majority of his childhood not caring about those around him, the loss of Nappa, who has become like a second father to him, is the first time he experiences extreme grief. This previously unknown emotion is what gives him the power to defeat Zarbon._

_Wow, I think about this way too much. Reviews are love._


	12. A New Beginning

_Sorry for the longtime-coming update on this story. I've been struggling on exactly how to write this for quite a while. Ungh. Words. How you work?_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Twelve – A New Beginning

Soft and dry. _This isn't right_, Vegeta thought hazily.

He couldn't be in the hospital bay of Frieza's ship. He would be in a rejuvenation tank. Upright and wet. But even through the fog of near unconsciousness, Vegeta knew that he was lying down. But where?

Where had he been? That's right. Battlefield. Fighting against Zarbon. The last thing he remembered was Nappa dying. No. The last thing he remembered was Bulma calling his name and the sensation of falling.

Now where was he?

Vegeta opened his eyes slowly, squinting against the light shining down from the ceiling above his head.

He currently occupied a bed in a space completely unfamiliar to him. The air hung with the sharp tang of disinfectant. White curtains cut off the rest of the world from view. Deep orange sunlight spilled in from a partially closed window to his right, meaning that it was late afternoon. But hadn't he just been outside after dark? Vegeta puzzled the question for a moment and scooted from beneath the covers to push himself into a sitting position. However, a sudden pain from his side stalled the motion, and he fell back with a grunt.

At the sound, the nearby curtains parted.

"I thought I heard you moving around." Bulma walked through the open sliver of fabric and sat on the bed next to his feet. "About time you woke up."

"Where?" Vegeta brought a hand up to his face and rubbed at the bandage across his forehead, trying to stimulate his brain.

"My house," said Bulma with a grin. "Well part of it anyway. This is the employee health clinic at the Capsule Corporation."

Vegeta didn't understand. Employee what? His brain felt hazy and unstable.

"We thought it might be more trouble that it's worth to take you to the city hospital," said Bulma. "Not many people around here have tails."

Vegeta unconsciously curled his tail tighter around his waist. It seemed the only part of his body undamaged by Zarbon.

"How are you feeling?" Bulma asked. "You've been out of it since last night."

"I'm great." Vegeta avoided her eyes. Instead, he scratched at the bandage wrapping the IV on the back of his hand. _That explains my lack of brain activity_, he thought to himself. _They've drugged me._

Fighting against stiffness in his side, Vegeta tried to sit up fully. Bulma stopped his progress by placing a hand on his chest. The firmness of the pressure behind her arm surprised him.

"Careful," she warned. "Too much movement, and you'll bust your stitches."

"I'm fine," he snapped, batting her hand away. But whatever was dripping into his veins at the moment made his dizzy, and he sunk back into the pillow.

Bulma fidgeted a moment before she spoke. "Listen, about last night…"

But incoming footsteps and the metallic grind of the curtains sliding away to Vegeta's left cut her off.

Goku stood in the open area between the curtains. His face lit up at the scene before him. "Hey, Vegeta," he waved with his right hand. The left one rested in a sling across his chest. The cast came up past his elbow. "Bulma said she thought you'd wake up soon."

With the curtains drawn back, Vegeta could see the rest of the room, which wasn't much more impressive than his previous enclosure. There was an examination table at the far end. Framed motivational health posters with quotations like "For good health, wash your hands" and "Cover your cough" decorated the otherwise bare walls. Two more beds lay to his left. Rumpled sheets covered the one closer to him, like it too had recently been slept in.

Vegeta guessed that Goku had spent the night. Other than his broken arm, Goku's injuries weren't substantial. No bandages crisscrossed his other limbs or chest.

"Uh, Bulma," began Goku. "I came to ask if Chi Chi and I could order a couple pizzas. I'm starving." He started to lift his left hand to put it behind his head in a ridiculous gesture like he normally would, but he winced as soon as his arm left the sling.

"I see my two patients are already testing their limits." A man in a white coat and stethoscope stood in the doorway. Vegeta eyed him suspiciously. Obviously a doctor. He hated doctors. They always thought they knew everything.

"This," said Vegeta, lifting his hands and pointing to the IV entry point. "Take it out right now, or I'm ripping it out myself."

"Vegeta, this is Dr. Baker." Bulma attempted to smooth over Vegeta's outburst. "He's the clinic's head doctor. He's trained at the best universities in the country, and he knows what he's doing."

The doctor approached. "I've heard a lot about you, young man," he said with a knowing smile that made Vegeta's skin crawl. "I'm sure would rather ride out your injuries with a clear mind, but that IV is keeping your pain level manageable."

"I've been through worse than this," Vegeta sneered. This soft Earthling physician obviously had no idea what pain was. He may be bruised and beaten, but Vegeta's pride wasn't about to take another hit. He took hold of the IV cord and pulled, snapping the needle from his flesh with a grimace. Almost immediately, the pain of his injuries began to seep back into his muscles, but he didn't care. Vegeta pushed the covers back and forced his body out of the bed.

"Vegeta!" cried Bulma. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

Vegeta pushed Bulma away, lurching towards the window like a wounded animal. He just wanted to get away. To go hide somewhere under a rock and tend to his own wounds in peace. Normally, he would have reluctantly included Nappa as company, but seeing as how he was now alone in the world, he would have to manage by himself. Alone.

"I don't need your help," shouted Vegeta. "Leave me alone!"

The pain was returning faster now as the world lost its color. Vegeta gripped the window, but he lacked the coordination to unlock it. He couldn't even bat away the arms that encircled his chest.

"You're not alone," whispered Bulma, barely loud enough for him to hear, but she may as well have screamed it because the phrase reverberated in his head. Over and over. Vegeta's knees gave out, and he was falling again.

The next time he awoke, the window was dark. Vegeta's head pounded, and his side burned, but his thoughts were finally clear. Even before he opened his eyes, he knew what he would find.

Bulma sat alone in the room next to him in a simple straight-backed chair beside his bed. "So you're an alien prince, huh?" she said, sensing his return to consciousness. "Could have fooled me."

Vegeta grunted. He recognized an insult when he heard it.

"Usually princes are a little more refined. You're one of the rudest people I've ever met," she laughed.

The edge of Vegeta's mouth curled into a lazy smirk. He had to give her credit. She was something.

"Seriously, would it have killed you to give a compliment last night? You never even told me I looked nice in my dress." Bulma crossed her arms.

"You…" Vegeta hesitated, wearily closing his eyes. "You looked nice in your dress."

"Thank you," said Bulma, clearly not expecting that response. "Not just for the dress comment. You did save me last night from that guy twice. And you came to get me after he took me from the dance."

Vegeta's eyes hardened for a moment as the memories from the night before played in his mind. There hadn't even been a moment where he had considered not defending her. This girl. Of all the creatures he had ever come in contact with. Why this girl? "Bulma, I—."

But Bulma interrupted him. "I thought of something while you were sleeping," she said.

Vegeta noticed she was holding an object in her lap, covered in a clean cloth. She pulled the fabric back, revealing a shining, orange orb with two red stars.

"It's a Dragonball," said Bulma, offering the object to him.

Vegeta accepted the ball and turned it over in his hands. It fit snuggly in his palm.

"It's how Goku and I and everybody first met. The summer before I entered high school."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her. Why was she giving him a ball? This wasn't some weird Earthling courtship ritual he didn't know about, was it?

"That's one of seven," Bulma explained. "If you gather them all together, you get a wish."

"A wish?" Bulma had the coziest life he could have ever imagined. She didn't need anything. "What would you wish for?" he asked.

"I wanted something stupid, but things got out of hand, and it didn't happen," she said. It was her turn to avoid his eyes. "Anyway, there's a legend that you can use these to wish someone you love back to life."

Nappa.

"I-." Vegeta halted. "You can do that?" Could it be possible? Could he wish Nappa back to life? Nappa had died protecting Vegeta. He wished more than anything he could do something to repay his guardian, and here it was, resting in the palm of his hand. "Where are the rest of them?"

"After each wish, they scatter across the world," said Bulma. I stumbled across this one again last year in a local pawnshop, if you can believe it. Goku keeps the four-star ball at his house. I invented this to find them." Bulma took a device out of her pocket. "It's called a dragon radar."

Why would she tell him all of this? If those balls could grant any wish… Just think of what they could be used for if the wrong person got their hands on them. If Frieza found out about them. And here he was, sitting in a bed with one of the most powerful mystic objects in the universe, contemplating wishing back his fallen companion. Wouldn't it be the better option to beat Frieza to the punch? Wish for something that mattered. Like immortality. A million lifetimes of fighting. Never having to worry about staying alive for just one more day.

Vegeta swallowed, already hating himself for the plan that was beginning to form in his mind. Was he really willing to give up on Nappa to beat Frieza?

"So, do you want to try it?" asked Bulma.

Her words pulled Vegeta from a place far inside his mind. "Yeah," he answered simply. "It sounds like a good plan."

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_I love getting feedback! :)_


	13. Only One Left

_Thanks to everyone that reads this story!_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Thirteen – Only One Left

It took three days of constant complaining on everything from lack of mental stimulus to the quality of the clinic's food for Vegeta to be released from the Capsule Corp. Employee Health Clinic. By that time, Vegeta's muscles began to tighten and ache from inactivity, and he longed to smell something other than air tainted with the fumes of disinfectant. When Bulma and the clinic's doctor finally gave him the green light to leave, he limped away as quickly as he could, terrified that the two would change their minds.

"It's not like it was a prison, Vegeta," said Bulma as she led him down the hallway toward the residential levels of the compound that would be his new home, at least until they wished Nappa back.

Vegeta grimaced at the thought. After three days, he still hadn't made up his mind about what he was going to do about the Dragonball situation. Would he go along with the plan and wish Nappa back to life? Or would he use his sob story to gain the Earthlings' trust and propel their quest, only to wish for immortality at the last moment? Decisions.

If he double-crossed the Earthlings, the other warriors wouldn't give him much trouble. Vegeta accepted the certain battle with Kakarot. It would be tough, but Vegeta was certain he still held the edge physically, and with the added bonus of an immortal body, that fight would be simple. Bulma, however, was a different story. He imagined the betrayal in her eyes when he double-crossed her charity with deception. It stung, and it hadn't even happened yet. Could he really deal with that for the rest of time?

What was he thinking? Of course he could. It's not like this would be the first time Vegeta had tricked the inhabitants of a planet in order to steal their resources.

It would be a simple matter of incapacitating Kakarot, and any of the other warriors foolish enough to try and stop him, and hightailing it to the spot where Nappa and Vegeta had hidden their space pods when they first arrived on Earth. Then, just connect a few wires to restore the power, and he would be hurtling toward Frieza's spaceship in no time. What power could the tyrant hold over him after he was immortal? He would achieve his lifelong goal of killing Frieza, and then go on to rule the universe himself for all eternity. The thought made him chuckle darkly.

"I said, 'This is your new room, and dinner is in an hour down the hall.'" Bulma stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the carpet. "Have you even been listening at all this whole time?"

Vegeta realized he had blindly followed Bulma across the compound to his temporary living quarters. And no, he hadn't heard a word of what she had said since they left the clinic. He realized he hadn't even paid attention to the layout of the compound, a big no-no in his survival training. He had to be more careful. "Uh."

"Is it the pain?" Bulma's voice suddenly became softer and more concerned. "You've been limping the whole way here. Maybe another day in bed might be better for you."

"No!" Vegeta did not want to go back to the clinic. Under any circumstances. Yes, his body ached, but the pain was preferable to forced bed rest. "No, I've had worse. I'm fine."

"You keep saying that," said Bulma. Her eyes didn't leave his. "It makes me scared to think what could be worse than this." She gestured to the bandages that still crisscrossed his chest, partially hidden under an unbuttoned shirt.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stepped through the door.

"Vegeta," said Bulma slowly. "If there's ever anything you want to talk about—"

Vegeta slammed the door in her face. He stood with his back to the door until, finally, her footsteps faded down the hallway. Like she even wanted to know. Like he could even begin to describe to this sheltered Earthling female the horrors he had been through. Like he even wanted to put them into words.

Vegeta clutched his side as he limped further into the room. The guest bedroom was furnished comfortably. Some of his clothes and school items were laid out on the bed in the center of the room. Vegeta wondered for a moment how they got there, and then realized that both Bulma and Kakarot knew where he lived. One of them must have gone there while he was in the clinic to retrieve them. Vegeta picked up a schoolbook. The edges of the paper were charred. In fact, most of his clothes smelled faintly of smoke, like the smell still clung to the fibers of the fabric even after a wash.

Vegeta realized this must be all that was left of the house he and Nappa shared. After all, Zarbon had attacked Nappa at home. The house must have been destroyed. Vegeta wondered if his armor was still buried in the ashes of his closet and how he could get to it without arousing suspicion that he was preparing for an upcoming battle. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. It was a puzzle to be solved later, and frankly, the thought of the little house charred and broken upset him. Another piece of his life gone.

Still hunching over slightly to ease the ever-present pain in his side, Vegeta opened a window. The fresh air that blew in cooled his face and evaporated the smoky odor. He poked his head out of the opening and saw that his window opened level to the stairs to an overhead balcony.

Vegeta felt a desperate urge to spend a little time outside away from the artifacts of his former home and away from a bed. He carefully vaulted out of the window to sit on the steps leading to the balcony. The breeze on the stairs and the afternoon sun welcomed him, and Vegeta rested his head on the wall. He let his eyelids droop. He had refused any nonessential medication since he woke up three days ago. Vegeta's exhausted body needed rest, but the anguish of his upcoming choice made his mind restless and his nightmares worse.

What was he going to do about the Dragonballs?

An hour later, Vegeta crawled back in through the window and opened the door to the hallway. He realized he didn't know the layout of the compound and felt a moment of panic of not knowing where the food would be. However, Bulma had known he hadn't been listening to her and posted a note to the far wall with a big arrow and the word "food" on it. Vegeta snatched the note and stuffed it in his pocket.

In the dining room, Bulma's family sat around the table. During his time in the clinic, Bulma's father had come to visit him, but this was the first time he had seen her mother. The woman was the obvious source of Bulma's good looks, but the resemblance stopped there as soon as she opened her mouth.

"You must be the brave boy that saved our Bulma!" said Bulma's mother in an oblivious voice that betrayed the low level of her intelligence. "Thank you so much. I would have come to visit you, but I just hate how dreary hospitals are."

"That makes two of you," said Bulma with a smile. "I don't think Vegeta could have gotten out of there fast enough." She patted a seat next to her at the table.

Vegeta sat suspiciously and scooted slightly away from her.

The food piled on the table made Vegeta's stomach rumble.

"Bulma told me you and Goku were related…" Bulma's mother began.

Vegeta glared at Bulma, who smiled back and shrugged.

"…So I thought you might be a big eater as well," she finished.

Vegeta was, indeed, a big eater. After three days with nothing but hospital food in the clinic, he tore through the spread in front of him. Bulma's mother might not have been the brightest star in the sky, but she certainly knew how to cook.

After dinner, the family gathered in the living room, and Vegeta retired to the guest bedroom. A short time later, after the noise in the living room died down, Vegeta decided it would be best to gather some information on his surroundings. He explored hallways and laboratories, always logging the information away in a mental map of the compound. He even found areas he wasn't expecting, like a giant atrium, housing an entire indoor garden, something he would have never run into on Frieza's spaceship. Why use such an open space for something as trivial as flowers?

Finally, Vegeta returned to the guest bedroom, thoroughly exhausted. His body ached, but as he looked down on the bed, he realized with a sigh that sleep was not coming any time soon. The nightmares that had begun to wane over the last month or so returned with a vengeance since his battle with Zarbon and, more particularly, his indecision over what to do about the Dragonball wish.

Instead, Vegeta slipped back out onto the stairs leading to the balcony. He looked longingly at the stars as he ascended the stairs, but his thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched squeal.

"Oh my God! Vegeta, you scared me to death!"

Vegeta realized he had neglected his surroundings… again.

Bulma stood in the open space in front of him dressed in a thin tank top and pajama shorts, which she quickly covered with a bathrobe. "What are you doing outside my bedroom?"

Vegeta found himself involuntarily blushing, both at the shame that he had not noticed her and the fact that she had been so minimally dressed. "I—" he started lamely. "I didn't know—"

"It's okay. It's okay," she soothed. "No harm done." However, Vegeta's Saiyan hearing picked up her added grumbles about him "just seeing me in my pajamas on a chilly spring night."

He blushed harder.

Bulma recovered. "I figured you would be asleep by now."

"I'm not tired."

"You look it," she said. "You look like you might pass out from exhaustion alone."

"I'm—"

Bulma finished the thought for him. "Fine. I get it. Why I even ask, I don't know."

Vegeta tilted his view away from her to gaze upward. Tiny points of light littered the clear night sky. The formations and patterns of the stars over this planet had become familiar to Vegeta during his time on Earth.

"They're beautiful," said Bulma, moving closer to him. "The stars. Which one are you from?"

Vegeta knew. He found it the first night on every planet he had ever visited. "See the three stars almost in a row?"

"That's what we call Orion's Belt," said Bulma.

"The last star on the right is the sun my planet used to orbit," said Vegeta.

"Used to?"

"It's gone now," explained Vegeta simply.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't need your sympathy," Vegeta said flatly.

Bulma turned on him. "This has got to stop, Vegeta," she said. "I'm just trying to be nice, okay?"

"No, I just—" Vegeta faltered. "People say that, but they don't mean it. They're just scared to say anything else. And they don't know what it's like. Look around. What if every human on Earth suddenly died, and you were the only one left?"

"Goku…"

"Kakarot doesn't count," snarled Vegeta. "For all cultural purposes, he's basically an Earthling."

Bulma began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Vegeta.

"You just used Goku's name and the word 'culture' in the same sentence," she giggled. "Now, that's funny."

Vegeta chuckled. He turned his attention back to the familiar star.

"And I mean it," said Bulma. "I know I can't relate, but that doesn't stop me from caring."

Vegeta exhaled slowly.

"So," Bulma started. "School ends in a few weeks. It shouldn't take us more than a month to find all the Dragonballs. We'll have Nappa back before the summer ends. You won't be the 'only one left' for very long, huh?"

Vegeta froze. No, if he had his way. He would be the only one left for a very, very long time.

That night, Vegeta's nightmares were the worst they had ever been.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_I'm back! More "Blending In" fun for all. Reviews are love._


	14. Rain

_Oh, hi there. Sorry it's been so long, guys. I didn't mean to go five months without an update. I promise I've been thinking about this story, but I just never got around to writing more. I reached one of those plot traps that tend to fall from the sky, and I had to chip through it with a blunt spork until I got free. _

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Fourteen – Rain

Physical wounds heal faster than mental ones.

Within a week, Vegeta's exhausted body recovered fully from his battle with Zarbon. He returned to his exercise routine, using a spare laboratory as a makeshift gym. Living in the middle of a city had its disadvantages. Mainly, a large population made it impossible for him to practice in the open. Humans don't do well when they see someone flying through the sky, openly firing energy blasts. Stunts like that tend to end up on the evening news, Bulma constantly reminded him.

In fact, the evening news had a variety of theories on what exactly transpired the night of the West City High School dance, ranging from a gas explosion to a terrorist attack. According to the news, the government quickly dismissed most of the eyewitness reports revolving around aliens. Vegeta wondered why.

Bulma shrugged the whole situation off. "Earthlings aren't ready for the whole alien thing, I guess," she said.

When West City High School reopened a week later, Vegeta did not return. Nappa's original plan to keep a low profile by attending a high school no longer seemed applicable. There was no way he could go back there now. Regardless of the government's view, the students and faculty at the school had witnessed Zarbon call him out at the dance, connecting the two in the explosion and damage.

Bulma and the rest the group did their best to curtail the rumors circulating about Vegeta at school, but in the end, even Bulma agreed that it might be best if Vegeta took the rest of the year off.

He wasn't welcome there anymore.

Not that Vegeta cared.

So, instead of returning to the classroom after the school reopened, Vegeta played hooky.

"What are you going to do with yourself when you're not at school?" Bulma asked on the third morning as she gathered her school items and placed them in her backpack. She picked up her umbrella and slipped the strap onto her wrist. "That laboratory can only take so much before it collapses."

Vegeta stretched on the couch and shrugged noncommittally. Bulma spoke the truth. The spare laboratory he had been using as a training area wasn't exactly his first choice, and he hadn't been particularly careful with the walls. Most now sported large dents and burns. A testament to his unyielding aggression.

"I'm sure I'll find something to do," said Vegeta.

"Well, just be careful you don't collapse the building," she said with a smile as she opened her umbrella to shield her from the rain on her way out the door.

Vegeta waited until he heard the hum of Bulma's air car fade into the rainy distance before he leapt from the couch. He was not going to spend the day in the makeshift gym, and he certainly was not going to spend it on the couch. No, Vegeta knew where he was going. He had waited long enough.

He walked nonchalantly through the rain to the edge of the Capsule Corp. complex and blasted into the sky. Icy raindrops soaked his clothing and flattened his bangs as he climbed upwards into the cloud cover.

With his body healed, it was time to face his mental anguish. Vegeta adjusted his course and headed home.

Little remained of the little house by the woods. From the air, the charred wood beams and surrounding dead grass scarred the green land. It was hard to believe there ever used to be someone living inside.

Vegeta landed gently in front of what used to be front door. The actual sight of the house was even worse than he imagined. There were no fire fighters this far away from the city. The fire Zarbon started when he attacked Nappa burnt itself out. There really wasn't much left.

Vegeta picked his way through the wreckage. Everything smelled like smoke. The stench choked his senses, and he brought his t-shirt up to cover his nose.

The damage in the kitchen was the worst. Zarbon must have blasted his way into the house from the roof above, no doubt catching Nappa off-guard. The collapsed debris of the ceiling covered the floor, and rain soaked the ground. Vegeta shuffled across a wooden beam towards his room.

When he reached the doorway, he stopped. Everything familiar in the room was gone. The few books and clothing items Bulma or Goku had rescued in the days following the fire really were the only visible things worth saving, but that didn't mean there wasn't something else.

Vegeta reached his closet and found the one thing he was searching for under a pile of ash. From the charred remains of his closet, Vegeta pulled forth his Saiyan armor.

He knew it would still be there. The designers built the armor to survive higher temperatures than the house fire. Through the flames, it had remained intact.

Vegeta wiped the soot from the strong, flexible material with his damp sleeve. Good as new.

With his armor in hand, Vegeta turned his back on the shell of the little house and left. He walked in the rain through the woods to a clearing he knew well. Hidden under the branches of a long-dead fallen tree, rested two round spaceships.

Vegeta rested his palm against the cool metal of the nearest ship. The rain softened the coat of grime that had built up on the surface during his time on Earth. The grit shifted under his fingers.

Vegeta withdrew his hand and reached inside a compartment in his armor, pulling out a small remote control. Pressing a series of buttons released the hatch on the ship. It opened with a slow whine.

The familiar stale odor of dried sweat and blood wafted over him. As did the memories of time spent cramped in the small ship. Inhaling a quick breath of the forest air, Vegeta ducked into the ship, tossing his armor down beside him on the stained seat.

Vegeta turned his attention to the control panel of the ship. Three exposed wires stuck out of the panel like unruly weeds. Reconnecting the blue wire would restore power to the ship. The yellow would activate the navigation systems. The red wire controlled the homing signal and the communications system. All three connections were required to launch the ship.

Today, Vegeta would only be priming the power and navigation. Connecting the red wire would instantly alert Frieza to his location, and he didn't need to add that complication until he was absolutely sure he was ready. Today was not that day.

Vegeta reconnected the blue and yellow wires and sat back into the seat as the control panel pulsed with light.

"Activation code," prompted an automated voice.

Vegeta lazily typed in the eight-digit code he had used since childhood.

"Unrecognized," stated the voice. "Please enter activation code."

That was strange. He sat straighter in the seat and reentered the code. Perhaps his muscle memory had faded from the months on Earth. He would type it in more carefully this time.

"Unrecognized," stated the voice again. "Please enter activation code."

Was this even his pod? Maybe he opened Nappa's by mistake. Vegeta glanced around. No, he recognized the frayed fabric from when he used to pick nervously at the upholstery after battles when he was little and the blue trail of smeared Azulurian blood in the shape of a space slug to the right of the dashboard. This was definitely his ship.

Upon further observation, Vegeta saw a folded piece of paper sticking out of the console above his head. He grabbed it and read Nappa's writing.

_Vegeta, if you're reading this, then you've probably figured out that I changed the activation codes to the space ships. _

"Obviously, Nappa," said Vegeta through gritted teeth.

_I didn't want you sneaking out one night and launching into space and getting yourself killed. We're staying out of it here for a reason. If this is an emergency, come talk to me about it. We'll figure out something together._

_Nappa_

Vegeta crumpled the paper into a ball and incinerated it angrily with his energy. "Nappa, you idiot," he snarled. Vegeta began wildly typing in codes. He tried everything from his birthday to the date the Saiyans proclaimed victory over the Tuffles. His official power level. Nappa's power level. Random numbers. Everything. Nothing worked. It would take a lifetime to crack the code. "No, no, no!"

Vegeta exited the craft, slammed down the hatch, and kicked the metallic hull. Vegeta released the rage threatening to overwhelm him. He screamed towards the rainy grey sky. "I can't! I can't come and talk it out, because you're dead, you fool!"

Vegeta sat back on his haunches and took a shaky breath. "What now?" he mumbled as he lowered his face into his hands.

At the same instance the thought struck him, a bolt of lightning danced across the sky.

"Zarbon's ship." Vegeta stood with a sly smile. He knew that code by heart. Zarbon boasted about it all the time. It was Zarbon's own power level. 00023148.

Vegeta shot into the sky. The craft would be nearby the house. After a few minutes of searching, Vegeta found it in a crater surrounded by a grove of trees. Unfortunately, it was less than intact. Burnt pieces of wreckage from the ship lay strewn about the craft's landing crater. Vegeta landed in the mud.

In his mind, he knew what happened. After Zarbon attacked Nappa, Vegeta's guardian did what he could to keep the prince safe. In a last ditch effort to keep their location a secret, Nappa must have destroyed Zarbon's ship just as he did the alien's scouter before he caught up with them in the park. Protecting him to the end, but at the same time cutting off any route of escape.

"Nappa, you fool." With something between a sob and a moan, Vegeta sank to his knees on the forest floor, pounding the wet leaves into the muddy ground. "I wasn't strong enough to stop Zarbon by myself. I'm not strong enough to beat Frieza. And now, I can't even get off this back-water trash heap of a planet. Are you happy, now?!"

Another dead end. No activation code, no space ship. No space ship, no escape. Earth was the end of the line.

Unless, he could figure something out fast, Vegeta would be fated to live the rest of his life trying to pass for an Earthling. Not an acceptable scenario, but what else was there?

Utterly defeated, Vegeta sat heavily on the root of one of the downed trees. He leaned back against the bark and let the rain fall onto his face.

Vegeta let acceptance wash over him. He sighed. It looked like his mind was made up for him. Vegeta certainly didn't want to spend an eternity on Earth, so wishing for it was out of the question, for now. Wishing Nappa back, it was.

At least, now he didn't have to wallow in uncertainty. His path was finally clear. Oddly, once he realized this, he felt more than a little relieved. Like he could suddenly breathe easier, because he wasn't drowning in his own indecision.

This didn't mean he was happy about it. No, he wanted nothing more than to beat the activation codes out of his soon-to-be reanimated guardian. But for now, he had to settle for knowing he would see Nappa again.

The more he thought about it, the more at peace with the situation he became. He still had time. With Zarbon's tracking signal disabled and his scouter destroyed, Frieza didn't have a lock on his location. He wasn't coming any time soon. Vegeta would become stronger still.

Vegeta returned waterlogged and chilled to Capsule Corp. with an hour to spare before Bulma arrived home. He took a hot shower and put on dry clothes and felt a lot better about life in general.

Just as Vegeta settled back onto the couch, the door opened, and Bulma entered.

"It's raining cats and dogs out there," she said as she shook the water out of the umbrella at the door. "Don't tell me you've been on the couch all day."

"Nope," said Vegeta, sinking into the cushions.

"So then, you found something worthwhile to do on your rainy day?" she asked.

"Yes. I did."

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_I love water imagery, you guys. It's an addiction, but I can admit that I have a problem. That's a start, right?_

_Also, this quote:_

"_... millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy … afternoon." ~_ _Susan Ertz_

_**IMPORTANT INFORMATION:**  
><strong>FYI, I've started an Ask Young Vegeta blog on Tumblr. For anyone that ever wanted to ask our favorite teenaged Saiyan a question, now's your chance! (The blog is set in the DBZ universe, not this AU.)<br>**_

_** I'm not allowed to add a link on this page. Just search "Ask Young Vegeta" on Tumblr. It'll get you where you need to go.  
><strong>_


	15. Lost and Found

_I've gotten some really great reviews lately begging me to update this fic. You guys win._

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Fifteen – Lost and Found

The group of friends spent the last four weekends of the school year preparing for a summer of searching for Dragonballs.

"That's the last of it." Bulma dropped a loaded camping backpack onto the pile of four other packs grouped in the center of the Capsule Corp. atrium. Bulma's pack completed the set of five. Goku, Chi Chi, Krillin, Vegeta, and Bulma stood in a circle around the pile of camping supplies. "Ready for this?" she asked her friends.

"You bet," said Goku with an eager smile. With his arm freshly out of a cast and fully healed, he practically bounced with enthusiasm. "This is going to be fun. And a whole lot different than last time."

Chi Chi squeezed Goku's hand. "So much has changed since we first met the last time you searched," she smiled. Goku grinned back at her.

"Goku, if it's anything like the stories you and Bulma tell, we're in for one heck of an adventure," said Krillin. "I didn't meet everybody until after the first hunt," he clarified for Vegeta.

"It's too bad Yamcha couldn't make it," Goku said to Bulma. "It would have been nice to have the three of us back together."

Vegeta shot a sidelong glance at Bulma to gauge her reaction. She hadn't said much about Yamcha's absence throughout the team's preparation period. To his surprise, Bulma caught Vegeta's eye and smiled back at him. "I think we've got everyone we need right here," she said.

Bulma pulled a non-descript burlap bag from her pack. "Now, down to business," she said. She reached into the sack and pulled forth two shining spheres. "We already have two Dragonballs, thanks to my pawnshop discovery and Goku's good luck. That leaves five to find."

"How long is it going to take us to find them all?" asked Krillin. "How long did it take last time?"

"I'd say we can gather all the Dragonballs in two weeks," said Bulma confidently. "It took me a lot longer last time, but I didn't have help for the first part." Bulma beamed at Goku, remembering their past adventures. "Right. Well, I think that Vegeta should have the honor of carrying the sack, since it's his wish we're going after."

The team nodded in agreement. Bulma placed the two and four-star balls back in their sack and handed the bag to Vegeta.

Vegeta clutched the sack in his fist and studied each face in turn. He still had trouble believing that this group of people, who had been total strangers to him only a few months before, cared enough about him to offer to help like this. The opportunity to use mystical objects to grant any wish in the cosmos, and these people wanted to help him reanimate his dead guardian. Earthlings really were full of surprises.

Vegeta didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

Goku clapped Vegeta on the shoulder, breaking the sudden silence. "We'll get Nappa back soon, Vegeta," he said with a smile. Chi Chi nodded encouragingly, and Bulma gave him a thumbs up.

"All right," said Krilin. "Let's do this. I just really want to see the dragon!"

Each member of the team shouldered their pack, and the group made its way outside. With the release of a capsule, an air van large enough to comfortably sit all five people expanded before them. After a final provisions check and jockeying between Goku and Krillin for the shotgun position next to Bulma, the van launched into the sky.

Before the sun dipped below the horizon at the end of the day, the gang of Dragonball hunters was locked onto its first radar signature.

They set up camp in the forests 200 miles north of Gingertown in prime position to locate their first prize as soon as the sun came up.

"I don't think you can actually call this camping, Bulma," said Krillin as the group relaxed after dinner in the screened-in porch attached to Bulma's newest portable capsule house.

"It's sort of camping," said Bulma, sipping on a fresh fruit smoothie.

"No. It's not," scoffed Vegeta. "You're drinking a smoothie. There aren't even bugs, and we're not sleeping on the ground. This is not camping."

Bulma giggled into her drink. "That's the most you've said all day, Vegeta. Fine, what would make it more campy?"

"We should build a campfire," suggested Chi Chi.

"Yeah!" Bulma agreed enthusiastically. "Boys, go get us some fire wood," she ordered.

Krillin arched his eyebrows. "You didn't bring firewood on this trip?"

"Of course I did," said Bulma, rolling her eyes. "But in case you didn't notice, we're in the middle of the forest. Firewood is literally growing on trees. So go get some. Chi Chi and I will grab the marshmallows!"

Goku's stomach rumbled at the mention of roasted marshmallows, and he jumped up, pulling Krillin and a grumbling Vegeta along with him.

Half and hour later, the group sat before a crackling bonfire, roasting marshmallows on sticks pilfered from the forest and laughing amongst themselves.

Vegeta sat with empty hands resting on his knees beside Bulma, staring absently into the flames.

"Ever tried roasted marshmallows before, Vegeta?" asked Bulma quietly.

Vegeta turned his head and watched as the flames danced, reflected in her eyes. Her voice pulled Vegeta out of his daze. "What? No," he said. "I've roasted a lot of… things over a fire. But not that."

"Well, you should try this," she said, offering him a freshly charred marshmallow on a stick.

"It looks like that tofu stuff your mother made last week," said Vegeta. There weren't many Earth-foods Vegeta didn't like. Tofu was one of them.

Bulma pushed the stick into his hand. "Not even close. Here. Careful, it's hot."

Vegeta accepted the stick and carefully bit off a small chuck of the toasted object. Melted sugar dissolved on his tongue, mixing with the thin crisp of the marshmallow's charred coating. Bulma was right. It certainly wasn't tofu.

"Where did the bag go?" asked Vegeta, cleaning the stick and licking his lips.

Bulma laughed and handed him the nearly empty bag before Goku could make a grab for it. "Told you," she said, smiling at him.

Vegeta smiled back. Not a smirk, but a real smile. The expression felt strange to his face, but Bulma smiled. He liked it when she smiled.

"Hold on," Bulma giggled. She reached to touch his cheek. "You've got melted marshmallow on you."

Her sudden movement made Vegeta flinch, and he batted her hand away before it reached his face. Bulma yelped and clutched her wrist.

"Sorry," Vegeta apologized hastily to Bulma. He grimaced and stood. "Sorry."

As Vegeta retreated into the cover of the trees, he heard Chi Chi ask, "What was that all about?"

In the darkness, Vegeta felt his face grow hot. He wanted to believe it was from the heat of the fire, but the chill of the forest didn't pull the flush from his cheeks. What _was_ that all about? And when was the last time he had ever smiled like such an idiot? Vegeta was relieved when Bulma didn't come after him.

Vegeta avoided Bulma the next morning. The others chattered away on the air van ride to the Dragonball location. Bulma tried to speak to him when they got out in the shadow of a mountain waterfall. He expertly ignored her advance, pretending that the noise of the waterfall drowned her words, but he heard them. "Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to scare you."

Scare him? Bulma didn't scare him. He scared himself. Sure, her quick movement towards his face startled him, but Vegeta feared his own reaction more. The embarrassment. The quickening of heartbeat and breath. These new emotions. Ever since the dance. The more time he spent with her, the easier it became to let down his shields. The easier it became to let her in. The harder it would be to leave. That is, if he ever did.

Vegeta mentally slapped himself and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Dragonballs. Nappa. Then the future.

The first Dragonball rested somewhere among the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. The group split up to search, each taking a small section of the rocks. After 20 minutes and no result, the team regrouped.

"You're sure it's here?" asked Krillin.

"Yes," answered Bulma. "It says it right here on the Dragon Radar." She pointed to the blinking blip. Wherever the ball was, it was close. They were practically standing right on top of it.

"Let's think logically," suggested Chi Chi. "If a dragon was trying to hide something, where would he put it?"

"I don't know if it works that way, Chi Chi," said Bulma. "They just seemed to scatter last time."

"No, I think she's right," said Goku. "I found my Grandpa's four-star ball close to Master Roshi's house. Maybe the dragon put it there for me. So maybe, he tried to hide the others really good."

"Hide them really well, Goku," corrected Chi Chi. "And thanks. So, where would a dragon hide a treasure?"

Everyone shrugged.

"Don't you people read? Honestly." Chi Chi put a hand on her hip and pointed to the ground. "There must be a cave underneath our feet! That's why the radar says the ball is here. It's below us."

"So, where's the entrance?" asked Krillin, looking around.

Chi Chi pointed to the waterfall. "Behind that," she said. "We're going spelunking."

"Cool!" said Goku. "What's spelunking?"

"Good idea, Chi Chi. I'll get the ropes," said Bulma, walking back to the air van. "Everybody who can't fly and shoot laser beams, get out your gloves and flashlights. That means us, Chi Chi."

The team made its way behind the waterfall, carefully avoiding the heavy cascade of water. Sure enough, behind the torrent, the rocks parted, leading to a giant, dark hole in the earth.

Chi Chi shined her flashlight beam into the chasm. "I can't see the bottom."

"Hold on." Bulma dropped a small stone, timing its descent with her watch. "It looks like it's only about 150 feet deep," she said after she heard the rock bounce off the cave floor. Bulma began roping off her rappelling line.

"Only 150?" Chi Chi quickly stepped back from where she was standing near the edge. She twisted the rope in her hands, not trusting it. "I'm having second thoughts."

Goku put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Chi Chi. I'll carry you down if you want."

Chi Chi nodded and clung to Goku's chest as he flew her down.

Bulma snatched a glance at Vegeta, but he didn't make a similar offer. "Rappelling it is," she mumbled under her breath.

Once at the bottom, the boys illuminated the darkness with energy orbs while the girls used a more conventional method.

"Those flashlights aren't as bright as pure energy," said Krillin, holding his energetic orb above his head. The light from his hand illuminated the whole cavern, shimmering on the water dripping from the varied cave formations. Every rock glowed with reflected light. "Wow."

"It's beautiful down here," said Chi Chi, letting go of Goku's arm and walking forward. "Like a crystal cavern." Her words echoed off the walls.

"So where are you, Dragonball?" asked Bulma.

Vegeta scanned the chamber. Everything reflected the light from the energy and flashlights, and it made it hard to pick out a sphere among the rocks. Finally, he found the seven-star Dragonball, half-submerged in a pool of clear water.

"Hey, Vegeta found it," said Goku.

"Wow, great job," chorused Bulma. "Now we've got three. Four more to go!"

"We'd better get moving then," said Vegeta, matter-of-factly. He secured the ball in his pocket and started back towards the opening.

For Bulma, rappelling down into the cave was much easier than climbing the rope back out. Vegeta, Krillin, and Goku carrying Chi Chi had almost flown to the surface before she made it 20 feet.

"Forget this," Bulma grumbled, anchoring herself to the rock. "Hey, Your Highness!" she called, making sure Vegeta heard her loud and clear. "Wanna help a girl up? I'm the only one here who isn't flying out!"

Vegeta peered down into the gloom and saw Bulma calling up to him. So much for keeping his distance. He descended back down and hooked his arms under the back of Bulma's shoulders, flying her back to the surface and depositing her on the ledge.

"And they say chivalry is dead," scoffed Bulma sarcastically. She stretched her shoulder. While Vegeta's technique wasn't as visually romantic or comfortable as Goku's, at least she was on the surface and not struggling up another 130 feet of rope and rock.

Sweat-drenched and victorious, the team made it back to the van.

Bulma checked the dragon radar for their next location. "Hey, guys. Looks like the next Dragonball is only 600 miles east of here."

"We should be able to get to it by tomorrow morning," said Chi Chi.

With practiced grace, Bulma launched the air van into the sky, eager to find the next target.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Oh man, I forgot how much fun writing Bulma and Vegeta's rocky pre-relationship was. Also, just so you guys know. The longer your reviews, the more driven I feel to update. _**Tie Pilot **_really got my rear in gear._


	16. The Swamp

_Look! A speedy update. Aren't you proud of me?_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Sixteen – The Swamp

"Just be careful where you walk," Bulma instructed, testing her own footing in ankle-deep murky water. "One wrong step, and you'll be over your head in swamp water."

Just a few days into their trip, and the group had already reached the site of the fourth Dragonball. However, its location, at the center of a swampy bog 300 miles west of the Central Capital, left much to be desired.

"This is totally gross," said Chi Chi, shuffling along a floating log, trying her best to stay out of the muck. "I was hoping at least one Dragonball could be hidden on a beach or something."

Krillin nodded. "You and me both. Plus, some sunlight wouldn't hurt, right?" He tipped back his head and searched the expanse of grey clouds hanging low above his head. The thick layer of atmosphere had rolled in overnight and didn't look like it was going anywhere for a while.

"It'd make it easier to see," said Goku.

"I don't like all this fog," said Vegeta, quietly. He stopped hacking at a large root blocking the path and defensively glanced from side to side. "It makes me feel like something's lurking."

"You're not afraid of a little bad weather, are you, Vegeta?" asked Goku. "It's barely even raining.

Vegeta crossed his arms. "I'm not afraid of inclement weather, Kakarot," he said. "I just like being able to see my suroundings."

"Yeah," said Krillin. "We could be walking into anything. Quicksand. Crocodile nest. Off a cliff."

"Boys, stop it," said Chi Chi. "You're creeping me out."

A sputtering rain began as the group traveled slowly to the center of the swamp.

"That's strange," said Bulma, stopping abruptly.

"What?" asked Goku.

Bulma held up the Dragon Radar. "It looks like the Dragonball has changed position." She pointed to the blip on the screen. "Earlier, it was over here." Bulma traced her finger two inches to the right.

"It's probably just a glitch," said Krillin.

Bulma leaned into Krillin's face. "I don't make things with glitches," she said through clenched teeth. She shook the gadget, testing it. "It moved. I know it did."

"Well, where is it now?" asked Goku. "Are we even still headed in the right direction? I hope we're not walking in circles."

"Yes," said Bulma, defensively putting her hands on her hips. "We just need to change our course a little. To the left." She pointed.

Vegeta laughed. "Kakarot, for a minute there, you sounded worried. Sure you're not the one afraid?"

Goku clenched his hands. "Oh I'm sure, Vegeta," he said. "In fact—Ah! A giant worm!" Goku kicked the offending object toward Vegeta, who ducked.

The "worm" bounced off the tree root next to Vegeta's head. Vegeta rolled quickly onto his side and blasted the object with a disproportional amount of energy necessary to kill such a creature. Swamp water quickly filled the hole in the earth created by the energy attack. Vegeta breathed deeply, steadying himself and wringing out his clothes from his surprise dunking in the water.

Goku burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face."

"Goku, that wasn't funny," said Bulma, barely suppressing a giggle. Vegeta's reaction was way too over the top.

Vegeta growled at Goku, who raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, it was just one of these, Vegeta." He lifted a milky-white vine from the ground, which was so saturated with water that it hung limply in his grasp. "I couldn't help myself."

Vegeta grit his teeth and changed the subject. "Bulma. Which way does the radar say to go?"

Bulma cleared her throat. "Further to the left," she pointed. The group changed course.

Through most of the swamp, Chi Chi managed to stay out of the water by walking along fallen logs, but eventually, her luck ran out. A wide expanse of saturated tree roots and rancid pond scum blocked the group's path to the deepest part of the swamp.

"It looks like you're going to have to get your feet wet, Chi Chi," said Bulma from where she stood, knee deep in sloppy muck. The boys stood in a circle around her, equally disgusted with the liquid soaking through their shoes and pants.

"I should have packed some waders," said Chi Chi, dismally. She plugged her nose. "Ugh, this part of the swamp smells like rotten fish guts." She hesitated at the end of the log. "Wait. Let me roll up my pants first."

Chi Chi bent down to protect her pants from complete saturation and nearly lost her balance in the process when the log bobbed in the water.

"Hold on, Chi Chi," said Bulma, stepping onto the log to steady her friend. "Falling in is worse than wading in it. Ask Vegeta."

Vegeta curled his lip in response.

Bulma held Chi Chi's shoulder as the other girl rolled her pant legs as far up as they would go. Just as Chi Chi was about to straighten, the Dragon Radar beeped loudly in Bulma's pocket.

"What is it?" asked Chi Chi.

Bulma did a double-take. "It says the Dragonball is right on top of us," she said. "But how did it get—"

Her sentence was cut short as the log the girls were standing on pitched suddenly to the side. Both Bulma and Chi Chi lost their balance as a wave of water rolled upward, splitting to reveal a massive crocodile, rising to snap the girls in it's powerful jaws. Chi Chi screamed as she fell backwards into the murky froth.

Bulma just had time to register an orange glowing gleam emanating from the beast's right eye socket before she entered the swampy water head first, inches from the crocodile's gaping mouth.

Vegeta saw the surge in the water in the split second before the crocodile appeared. But, when he saw Bulma pitch forward and disappear under the surface, shock instantly transitioned into rage. He slammed an energy blast into the beast, knocking it sideways. It didn't kill the monster, but it would give him some time. The muddy bottom of the swamp dropped off swiftly, and five paces forward, Vegeta dove into the water before the crocodile could shake off the attack and resume searching for its meal.

Vegeta could barely see his hand in front of his face under the surface, so he had to locate Bulma by touch. He stayed submerged, waving his outstretched arms, hoping to hit it lucky, but the only things he grabbed were roots. Angrily, Vegeta kicked towards the surface, grabbing another breath of air and scanning the top of the water for his enemy. Not too far away, Krillin was distracting the beast, popping it with energy blasts, but the crocodile's scaly armor protected it from taking critical damage.

Goku had just deposited a drenched Chi Chi on the water-covered pathway and was flying to aid Krillin. Chi Chi sat on all fours, desperately scanning the surface for air bubbles when Vegeta broke through the film of scum.

"Did you find her?" she yelled.

Vegeta shook his head and dove back down, silently calculating the time since Bulma had first gone under. 30 seconds. He knew he could easily hold his breath for five times that amount, but this wasn't about his abilities. This was about Bulma. How long could she survive without air? One minute? Two?

Another random search brought up nothing. One minute in. He had to find her. Fast.

Vegeta desperately thought back to a sparring session with Goku from months before. He had been trying to teach Vegeta how to sense energies. He hadn't been able to get the concept at the time. He'd always relied on his eyes and ears. Under the water, neither of those could help him.

He closed his eyes against the murk and swam down, angling his body towards something that "felt" like Bulma.

His hand hit another root, but this root moved when he touched it. Vegeta opened his eyes and peered through the brownish water and saw Bulma's lax face. Two tiny air bubbled leaked from her nose. A quick inspection showed that her foot had become tangled in a root when she hit the bottom.

Vegeta quickly crushed the root with his hand, freeing Bulma from the watery trap, and propelled them two feet upwards back to the surface.

Vegeta broke through the surface and flew with Bulma to where Chi Chi was frantically calling her name. Goku and Krillin had already subdued the monster and flew towards them as well.

Even in the desaturated grey light of the swamp, Bulma's complexion looked decidedly blue. She wasn't breathing.

"Oh no," gasped Chi Chi.

Vegeta laid Bulma on the watery pathway. "Keep her head above the water," he ordered. Chi Chi complied, cradling her friend's head in her lap. Goku and Krillin stood back, hoping that the term "give her some air" might literally help.

Vegeta interlocked his fingers and compressed her chest with the heel of his hand. "Come on."

Bulma lurched forward, sputtering water out of her mouth and lungs. Her hand clung to Vegeta's shirt as she emptied all the water trapped in her airways.

Vegeta relaxed visibly, sitting back on his haunches. One minute and twenty seconds and not too late. He wiped a slightly shaking hand across his mouth.

"I could see the surface," said Bulma, gulping air through her coughs. "I just couldn't get my foot out."

"I was so scared when I came up and didn't see you," said Chi Chi with eyes full of tears. She hugged Bulma.

"Let her breathe, Chi Chi," said Goku gently. He placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. Chi Chi hovered anyway.

Bulma pushed back the tangled mass of bangs from her face so she could see clearly. "The crocodile. It's got a Dragonball in its—"

"You mean this?" Krillin held out a shining orb. The five-star Dragonball. "This was stuck in that guy's eye socket. Here you go." He tossed the ball to Vegeta, who nearly dropped it before sticking it in his pocket.

"It was in his eye?" asked Chi Chi. "Gross."

"Yeah, I don't even want to think about how that happened," said Goku. "Minding your own business, and then all of a sudden a Dragonball smashes into you and gets stuck in your skull."

Bulma sat up, suddenly more aware of her surroundings. "Wait, how did I get out of the water?" she asked.

"Vegeta found you," said Chi Chi. "And it took him **forever**."

Bulma turned to Vegeta. She released her grip from his shirt, which she hadn't even realized she was still holding. "How did you find me? I couldn't see anything down there."

"I don't know. I just sort of knew where you were after a while." Vegeta forced his hands to stop shaking instead of looking at her face.

"He saved your life," supplied Chi Chi.

Bulma put her fingers to her lips. "You didn't—"

"Guh, I wasn't forced to kiss you if that's what you're implying," scoffed Vegeta defensively. He rose and stood a few feet from the group with his face turned away from them.

Bulma crossed her arms from where she sat on the muddy ground. "Well, I'm glad I didn't force you to do something you find so **repulsive**!" she practically yelled.

"Uh kids, we've got the Dragonball," said Krillin. "Can we just get out of here, please?"

"Seconded," said Chi Chi. "All I want right now is a hot shower and a change of clothes."

"Fine." Bulma stood shakily and wiped off the Dragon Radar, which was still strapped to her wrist. "I sure am glad this thing is water proof," she said.

The group trudged back to the edge of the swamp in exhausted silence. Finally, when they reached the clearing, Bulma expanded the air van capsule.

They camped that night in the desert and agreed to take a day of rest before they went in search of the next Dragonball.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Please send me reviews. I live for what you guys think of this story._


	17. Double Trouble

_Thanks for all your support, everyone. Here, have a super-sized chapter!_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter Seventeen – Double Trouble

After a day of rest and multiple hot showers to cleanse the caked on grime of the swamp off their weary bodies, the group's collective mood lifted, and they felt much better in general.

"Hey, take a look guys." Bulma held the Dragon Radar above her head from where she lay stretched out on the couch of the capsule camping house. "I found our next Dragonball location. Chi Chi, you're going to like this one."

"Where is it?" asked Chi Chi. She pushed Bulma's legs off her lap and scooted closer on the couch to see the radar's screen. The rest of the group gathered around as well.

Bulma turned the screen to face them, pointing to two tiny blips on the southern portion of the map. "There are **two** Dragonballs in the Southern Islands, right next to the **beach**!"

"The beach!" squealed Chi Chi. "Yes!"

"And we get two Dragonballs at once," said Goku. "Even better!"

"This is great," said Krillin. "What are the chances?"

Vegeta crossed from the window where he had been standing, gazing at the darkened desert landscape. "Indeed," he said. "But why would two Dragonballs be in one location when they scatter across the globe after a wish?"

Goku shrugged.

"Isn't obvious?" Vegeta sneered. "Think."

Bulma lowered the radar into her lap. "Someone else is already looking for them," she said as the weight of the realization hit her. "We're going to steal two Dragonballs from someone we don't even know."

"Maybe we could just ask nicely for them," suggested Goku. "We could tell them what we need the Dragonballs for."

"Would that work on us if it was the other way around?" asked Krillin.

"I wonder what their wish is," said Chi Chi. "You don't think they want to bring back someone they love too?"

"I don't know," whispered Bulma. "What do you think, Vegeta?"

Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "It's been a while since I've had a good challenge," he said with a devilish smile. "I hope he has them well-guarded."

"Okay, no moral guidance from Vegeta," said Bulma, rolling her eyes. Not for the first time, Bulma wondered what exactly he did before he came to Earth. "Well anyway, it's going to take us three days to get close enough for me to get a lock on their specific location. Maybe we can find out more once we get closer."

Everyone nodded.

The next three days passed with a tangible uncertainty hanging in the air van. Even Vegeta noticed the odd silence that followed any discussion of the Dragonballs. He didn't understand what they were all so worried about. As far as he was concerned, if whoever was collecting Dragonballs didn't have them well-guarded, they didn't deserve to have them at all.

Vegeta unhooked the burlap bag from where it sat on his waist. He had taken to keeping all the balls with him at all times as they gathered more and more. The four shining spheres clinked delicately in the sack. It was a wonder that more people on Earth didn't know about the powers the objects possessed. So much power in such an unassuming package.

"Oh hey, look Vegeta. Home sweet home," Bulma called from the cockpit as the sun rose after an early start on the third day.

Vegeta glanced out of the window, not understanding what she meant. All he saw was an unfamiliar city skyline far below the air van.

"It's South City," laughed Bulma. "Remember your first day at school? That's where you said you were from."

Vegeta rolled down the window and stuck his head out. South City bustled with tiny dot-like people. Even from far up in the air, Vegeta could feel the ocean breeze from the city's harbor as well as what smelled like the corpse of a giant fish. The pungent odor made him grateful Nappa chose an inland spot to settle. He hoped the rest of the southern region didn't smell like this.

"Ew, roll up the window, Vegeta," said Goku, covering his nose. "We must be flying over a fish market."

Krillin sniffed the air. "You can smell that? I barely smell anything."

"Trust me. It's there," said Goku.

Vegeta pulled his head back inside and rolled up the window.

Bulma switched the air van to autopilot and took out the Dragon Radar. "I think we're close enough to get a better reading now," she said and clicked a few buttons. "There. Both Dragonballs are located on Banku Island. It's still a good couple of hours west of here, but I think we can make it before lunch."

"Great," said Goku. "Can we eat lunch before we ask about the Dragonballs?"

"You all realize that we can't just show up and announce that we are collecting Dragonballs, right?" said Vegeta, leaning heavily on his armrest. "We need to get in and get out with what we came for."

"I don't know if I can do that Vegeta," Goku whined. He played absently with one of his fingers. "That's stealing. You know it is."

Vegeta crossed his arms. "I'm not asking you to steal them, Kakarot. I'll go in and get them myself if I have to. Can you honestly say you didn't take a single ball from anyone last time?"

"Most people were willing to give it to us if we helped them out," said Bulma. "Maybe this person will do the same."

"Goku's right," said Chi Chi. "I would feel better if we asked."

Vegeta turned to Krillin, daring him to challenge his opinion.

Krillin sighed. "Sorry, Vegeta. We have to at least ask."

Vegeta threw his hands in the air, defeated. "Fine. But this is the worst strategy you group of soft-hearted fools could possibly come up with. I'm ashamed to be associated with you."

Vegeta rode in defeated silence for the next few hours until Goku physically climbed over his lap to get to the window and rudely interrupted his brooding thoughts. "Kakarot, get off," he yelled.

"What is that?" asked Goku with his face plastered to the glass, totally unfazed by Vegeta's attempt to unseat him.

The whole group's attention focused on where Goku pointed.

The thick, dark smoke rising from a massive volcano came into view long before Banku Island.

"Whoa," said Krillin. "Is that a volcano?"

"Looks like home before Goku put the fire out," said Chi Chi. "If home were ten times bigger. That volcano is huge!"

Vegeta finally succeeded in pushing Goku back into the isle. "Well, this looks like a fun place to spend the afternoon," he said sarcastically.

Finally, the actually island rose from below the horizon. The volcano dominated the majority of Banku Island. On the northern side of the tiny spec of land, sat a small town.

Bulma tentatively landed the air van on the outskirts of the city as far away from the volcano side of the island as she could. "The mountain looks like it's going to blow any minute," she said. "Let's figure this out and get out of here as fast as we can."

The others agreed.

They found the streets of Banku Island deserted. Shops and houses stood boarded over with wooden planks with once-white stucco walls of the buildings now blackened by vast amounts of soot from the cloud of ash hanging overhead.

The group of Dragonball hunters walked down the main road of the town with Bulma at the lead and the Dragon Radar pointing the way.

"Where are all the people?" asked Chi Chi.

"It looks like the whole place is abandoned," said Bulma.

Goku shook his head. "No," he said. "There's plenty of people here. They're just all hiding. I can feel them."

Krillin nodded in agreement.

Vegeta tried to sense what the other boys felt, but either the citizens' power levels were too weak for him to detect (most likely), or his energy sensing abilities only worked with Bulma (strangely disturbing). Vegeta protectively lay one hand on the burlap bag tied to his hip and scanned the area with his eyes. He didn't like being at a disadvantage to anyone.

The radar led the team to the largest house on the island.

"Here we are," said Bulma, pocketing the radar. "According to the radar, both Dragonballs are in the center of the house. "Also, someone else gets to lead now, cause this not-really-an-abandoned-town thing is giving me the creeps." She shivered.

Goku looked to Vegeta, who nodded once. If he wasn't allowed to blast his way in, Vegeta would rather act as main defense and guard the rear. He certainly didn't trust any of the others to protect them. Not that anything on this island could possibly harm him. However, Bulma….

Bulma walked beside Vegeta through the main door, which swung creakily on its hinges. Vegeta scanned the entrance room for any sign of sudden movement. His ears listened for footsteps. The muscles in his back and shoulders tensed in anticipation of an unannounced attack. He—

"Hello!" called Goku loudly. "Anybody here?"

Vegeta brought his hand up to smack his forehead. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered. Bulma giggled nervously beside him. "Kakarot, you fool!" Vegeta growled. "You've given away our—"

Dozens of cammo-clad soldiers rushed into the main room, surrounding the group of five teenagers.

"Position," Vegeta finished, looking down the barrel of one soldier's gun. He shifted his weight slightly to block Bulma's frame from the muzzle.

"Stay right there, intruder," said the soldier. "One more move, and I'll shoot."

Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Bulma, and Chi Chi stood in the middle of the room as the soldiers searched them for weapons, but when one man's hand grabbed at the bag tied to Vegeta's belt, Vegeta grabbed the soldier's wrist, bending it back so forcefully that the soldier cried out.

"I would leave that alone if I were you," said Vegeta cooly.

Another of the guards quickly came to his companion's defense, ramming the butt of his rifle in Vegeta's stomach.

The Saiyan barely even felt the hit and was about to retaliate mercilessly when his advance was cut short by military-style whistle from the top of the stairs.

"Stand down, my friends. Stand down," said the slender man at the top of the stairs. "Surely, you cannot think that a group of teenagers pose enough of a threat for all of you to attack them like this."

The several dozen soldiers stepped back as their authority figure descended the staircase.

The rest of the group visibly relaxed, but Vegeta did not. Something about this man's demeanor seemed eerily familiar.

"Greetings," said the man as he swaggered towards them. He bent and kissed Chi Chi's hand. She blushed. He would have done the same to Bulma, but Vegeta blocked her territorially.

"Vegeta," Bulma hissed from behind his shoulder. "What are you doing? At least try to behave."

The man didn't seem to notice. He straightened and adjusted his tie. "I am Choro, the mayor of Banku Island. I welcome you, but this is not the time for tourists, I'm afraid."

"We're not tourists," said Goku.

_Great_, thought Vegeta. _Time for big reveal._

"Oh?" asked Choro. "Then what brings you to this place?"

"We're looking for something—well, two things. We were hoping maybe you could help us," said Goku.

"They're called Dragonballs," said Bulma, pushing past Vegeta with effort. "They're round and orange with red stars on them. We hear you might have some on this island."

"Interesting," mused Choro. "Where did you hear this?"

"Just… around," answered Vegeta evenly before Goku could spill the beans about what really brought them to the island. Choro did not need to know about the Dragon Radar. "So do you have them or not?"

Choro flashed a white smile. "I do," he said. "And I will show them to you if you like. Follow me." Choro led the way down a long hallway. The others followed, flanked by several of the armed guards. The mayor led them into a fortified room.

"I'm collecting Dragonballs," explained Choro, pointing to a pedestal where the one and six star Dragonball sat on a purple ornate pillow. "I'm sure you know of the legend that the spirit of the Dragonballs will grant any wish. I'm planning to wish to stop the volcano threatening my island. It's a very honorable wish." Choro placed emphasis on the word "honorable."

"The volcano is really dangerous then?" asked Goku.

"Very," said Choro. "It will destroy Banku Island any day now. We are a small island. We don't have the resources to relocate, and my soldiers are powerless against a raging mountain. I have agents scouring the world for news of other Dragonballs. But so far, these are the only two I've found."

"We're close to getting our wish too," said Goku. "Is there any way we could help you in exchange for the Dragonballs you already have? Maybe we could stop the volcano."

Choro laughed. "I seriously doubt you could do that. What is your wish?"

"That is none of your concern," said Vegeta. "Your island is in danger. If we take away that danger, will you give us the two Dragonballs?"

Choro eyed Vegeta suspiciously. "Yes," said the man. "You have my word. But how could a group of youngsters such as yourselves possibly hope to accomplish such a task?"

"You'd be surprised what we can do," said Goku.

"I hope to be," said Choro with a relieved smile.

"Right then," said Goku. "Girls, why don't you stay here with the mayor? Vegeta, Krillin, and I will sort out the volcano. See you in a bit." He waved.

Vegeta, Goku, and Krillin flew together towards the summit of the volcano.

"Goku," said Krillin. "We're really going to stop a volcano from erupting?"

"I've done it before," said Goku happily. "And last time, I didn't even have help." He smiled at his friends. "What about you, Vegeta? Ever done something like this?"

"Can't say I have, Kakarot," mused Vegeta. "But it shouldn't be too difficult."

Krillin sighed. "The people I hang out with," he muttered.

At the top of the volcano, the ash cloud made navigation and breathing difficult. The thick, black smoke pulsed around them, cutting off clean air and heating their bodies uncomfortably.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Krillin, wiping sweat from his brow.

Goku shrugged. "Don't know yet."

"Great."

"Divert the lava flow away from the village," said Vegeta authoritatively. "There's too much pressure to cap it. We've got to trigger an eruption."

"That doesn't sound like a fun plan," said Krillin. "Got another one?"

"Nope," said Vegeta. "Kakarot, you and Baldy use your energy to cut a channel down the side of the mountain towards the seas away from the village. I'll trigger the eruption."

Goku nodded.

"Baldy!" baulked Krillin. "Whatever you say, Monkey Boy."

Vegeta stiffened at the insult.

"Not so much fun when the shoe's on the other foot, huh?" Krillin laughed and flew off to cut through the rock.

Vegeta focused on the task at hand and released a triggering blast into the volcano's core. Lava exploded upwards. He blasted through the side of the mountain, forming a hole for the lava to spill through to channel towards Goku and Krillin's chutes leading to the ocean.

For nearly the entire afternoon, Goku and Krillin cut channel after channel in the surging lava. Vegeta worked tirelessly to keep up the lava flow.

By the time the volcano cooled, having released its pent-up pressure and excess magma into the sea, all three boys were exhausted. Vegeta sagged, bracing his hands on his knees. The chance to release so much pent up aggression hardly ever presented itself. It felt good to clear out so much energy, but more than anything, Vegeta was ready to call it a day.

"We've completed our end of the bargain," said a sweat-drenched Vegeta, standing back in the mayor's house. "Now give us the Dragonballs."

"Of course," said Choro. "I am a man of my word. Though I must confess I didn't expect salvation to come at the hands of teenagers."

"We're full of surprises," said Vegeta. "The Dragonballs."

"What Vegeta means is 'Thank you," said Bulma when Choro handed her the two orange spheres. She opened the drawstring on the sack at Vegeta's waist and dropped the two additional balls in to join the others.

Vegeta caught Choro's eyes widen at the contents of the bag. "We've troubled you enough," said Vegeta. "We'll be on our way." He turned to lead the group out.

"Wait," called Choro. "The sun is setting. You can't leave now. Stay. Allow me to offer you my finest hospitality!"

"I don't know," said Goku, glancing at Vegeta's impatient face. "We're kind of on a tight schedule."

"Please, I insist," Choro implored. "My island is throwing a party to celebrate the end of the volcano. There will be food and dancing on the beach. One night. You can leave in the morning."

"There's food?" Goku's face brightened.

"There's a beach?" Chi Chi practically glowed.

"We can just leave in the morning, right?" asked Krillin.

"Come on, Vegeta," said Bulma as they walked away to change for the party. "It's just one night. What's the worst that could happen?"

The entire population of the island came out of hiding to attend the celebration. Hundreds of people reveled on the beach in glow of several massive bonfires built from the planks of wood previously barricading the windows of Banku Island's houses. Children ran between their parents' legs, happily chasing each other and kicking up sand.

When Vegeta, Goku, Bulma, Chi Chi, and Krillin arrived, the entire crowd cheered them. Several members of the mass of people guided the heroes to a long table, heavily laden with food.

"I'm in heaven," said Goku, between massive bites of pit-fired pork. "This is great!"

As the group ate a hero's meal, members of the town filed by, thanking each of them in turn for saving the island.

"For you," said a little girl, offering Vegeta a single blue and white flower. She smiled, revealing childish gaps between her teeth. "This is from my family's garden. It will continue to grow because of you and your friends. Thank you."

Vegeta's mouth twitched. He accepted the flower but mechanically placed it on the table next to Bulma's elbow as soon as the little girl moved away. Vegeta sighed heavily, got up, and walked away from the table and the line of hero-thankers, seeking shelter among the shadows.

Vegeta sat on a driftwood tree trunk in the sand away from the crowd of partiers. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the waves breaking in the ocean. Vegeta felt a twinge of annoyance at the sudden tap on his shoulder.

"Lots of people back there," said Bulma. "What's up?"

"I am many things," said Vegeta. "But a hero is not one of them."

Bulma sat beside him on the log. She had the flower in her hair. "I disagree with that statement," she said.

Vegeta shook his head.

"Why do you always do that?" asked Bulma.

"What?" 

"You never accept anything anyone says that's nice about you."

He looked away.

Bulma put a hand on his knee. "What are you not telling me? You can trust me."

"I don't—" Vegeta stopped. "You wouldn't understand."

"I could try."

"I've just—I've never saved a group of people like that."

"Neither have a lot of people, Vegeta," laughed Bulma. "That doesn't make you a bad person."

"No. I just didn't expect them to be so grateful. All I've ever done is… _hurt people_." The last two words came out in a hushed whisper.

"What do you mean?" asked Bulma softly.

"Before I came to Earth, I—I worked for a really bad guy."

"Frieza, right? I heard that green guy mention him in the gym."

Vegeta nodded. "I've hurt a lot of people. Killed a lot of people."

"Why?"

Vegeta studied Bulma's face. She seemed genuinely concerned. Not frightened like she should be. "You should be terrified of me."

"I'm not."

"Why?"

Bulma detangled the flower from her hair and twirled it between her fingers. "If you were going to kill me, you would have done it a long time ago. Probably while I was blackmailing you for a date to the dance. But you didn't. You're obviously not the same person you were before you got here."

"And here I was thinking I was getting stronger," Vegeta said with a sour expression.

Bulma smiled at him. "Maybe you are. What's the big deal about 'getting stronger' anyway? What are you trying to prove?"

"I have to go back," said Vegeta plainly. "Frieza." The name left a bloody tang on Vegeta's tongue. "I have to defeat him. As long as he's out there, I'll never be free. He'll always be out there. You don't want him to find out about Earth." Vegeta dropped his head back, gazing at the stars.

"You can't just quit?"

Vegeta laughed once. "If only it were that easy. No, I'm indentured to his army. Forever."

"He's really that powerful?"

"Choro reminds me of him," said Vegeta.

"What are you talking about? He gave us the Dragonballs after we saved his island."

Vegeta bit his thumb. "I don't trust him. His demeanor. The way he talks. And the way he tried to kiss your hand."

Bulma scooted closer to him on the log. She leaned into his face. "I think you're just jealous."

"I'm not jealous," said Vegeta, crossing his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever," said Bulma. She leaned back. "I guess we'd better go find everybody," she said. "We've been over here for a while. Chi Chi's going to start assuming stuff."

Vegeta tilted his head to the side quizzically.

They found the rest of the group still gathered at a much emptier table. Goku sat surrounded by deep stacks of dishes. Chi Chi leaned into him, watching a group of dancers sway back and forth in the firelight. Krillin chatted with one of the monks from the island.

When Vegeta and Bulma approached, Chi Chi perked up. "There you guys are," she said. "We've been wondering where you two got off to."

Chi Chi arched an eyebrow at Bulma, who laughed and shook her head. "Come on Chi Chi. Let's go put our feet in the water," she suggested.

Choro provided two spacious rooms for the group. The girls' sleeping chamber alone dwarfed the entire capsule camping house the group had spent the last week in. Their bodies sank into the soft bedding, and the plush pillows called them to sleep.

In the boys' room next door, Vegeta tossed restlessly in his bed. He could hear Goku snoring loudly in the other bed. Krillin hadn't moved in hours.

Vegeta roughly adjusted his pillow. Despite the luxury comforts provided by Choro, Vegeta found sleep elusive. His hand brushed the Dragonball bag hidden behind his head.

Why would Choro give up his two Dragonballs so easily, especially once he saw the bag Vegeta possessed, filled with four other balls? Vegeta stood by his words from earlier in the evening. He didn't trust Choro. Choro's demeanor practically screamed Frieza. There was no way that friendly overlord act was genuine, was there? Maybe he was just reading too much into something that wasn't there. He glanced at the clock. 3 a.m.

Sighing, Vegeta closed his eyes but opened them suddenly when he heard the door to the hall creak slightly. Through the dark, his eyes couldn't register if it opened. The hallway was just as dark as the room. Vegeta relied on his excellent hearing, gauging if he heard footfalls on the carpet. Even though Goku's snoring, Vegeta heard creeping footsteps. Someone else was in the room.

Vegeta stayed completely still, unwilling to let the possible intruder know that he knew of his presence. Whoever the man was, he was incredibly stupid for breaking into the Saiyan prince's room.

Still feigning sleep, Vegeta tensed his muscles, ready to spring. He waited until he could feel the man's hot breath on his cheek as the stranger slid his hand under the prince's pillow.

Eyes shooting open, Vegeta leapt forward, surprising the man with both a savage roar and a hand clutching his throat.

The pair tumbled to the ground, knocking the clock off the bedside table. Upon hearing Vegeta's battle cry, Goku and Krillin started awake. Goku quickly turned on the light, revealing the trespasser.

"Choro!" balked Goku. "What's going on? What time is it?"

Vegeta growled, strengthening his grip mercilessly. He held Choro to the ground by his throat. The mayor choked pleadingly.

At the commotion, the door connecting the two rooms swung open, revealing Bulma and Chi Chi, both in their pajamas, looking very unhappy at being woken in the middle of the night.

Bulma saw Vegeta and his death grip on the mayor first. "Mr. Choro?"

"Trying to steal our Dragonballs," said Vegeta through gritted teeth. "First wish suddenly not good enough for you?" He gripped Choro's throat tighter. Choro spasmed under the pressure.

"Vegeta, stop!" cried Bulma. "You're going to kill him!"

Vegeta's throttle cut off Choro's air supply. The man's facial gradient slowly turned from red to blue as his struggles weakened.

"So?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed accusingly. "This man is a coward. He deserves a coward's death." The man did deserve to die. He had tried to trick them with false kindness. He deserved everything coming to him.

Bulma rushed forward, pulling on Vegeta's arm, trying desperately to loosen his fingers. "No, stop! Just stop! Please!" she begged. "You're not a murderer. Not anymore. You're better than this. Stronger!"

Vegeta turned at her words and looked at her, releasing Choro. Stronger?

The man gulped air, clutching his throat.

Bulma shook as she hugged Vegeta. "Thank you," she sighed.

Choro's normal coloring began to return. He retreated backwards, scooting into one of the beds.

Goku knelt beside Choro's cowering form. "We gave you your wish. Why would you do this?" he asked.

"Please," begged Choro. "I didn't mean to. When I saw how many you had, I couldn't help myself. So much power."

"He meant to use the Dragonballs for another wish, didn't you?" said Vegeta. "Unlimited military power, perhaps?"

Choro bowed his head. "Eternal life. I wanted to rule my island forever. My island. Just my island."

Vegeta took a step backwards and tripped, catching himself on the bed. "We're leaving," he ordered. "Now. Right now. Bulma, get the van ready."

Bulma nodded once and complied. Chi Chi went with her to pack up their things. Vegeta picked up the Dragonball bag, checked the contents, and secured it to his waist. He planned to keep it there for the remainder of the trip.

From the other room, Vegeta heard Chi Chi whine, "But we didn't even get to go the beach in the daytime!"

Twenty minutes later, the shadow of Banku Island faded from the rear view mirror.

"It was very brave of you to let him live, Vegeta," said Bulma. She glanced at him sitting beside her in the passenger seat of the cockpit.

Vegeta didn't reply. He crossed one leg over the other and rested them on the dashboard. "Where are we going next?" he asked.

Bulma faced the open ocean. "Up north. Up north is where we'll find the last Dragonball."

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_What just happened? How did I write that much? I really should have split this into two parts- but I didn't. Whoops._


	18. The Wish

_And to think, I almost skipped over writing about the group actually searching for the Dragonballs. That would have been awful. _

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Wish**

Dark storm clouds rolled across the blackening sky, flashing silver lightning. The bolts illuminated the area in strobes, revealing a monstrous serpent rising from seven gathered Dragonballs.

Vegeta rose from where he knelt on the ground.

"I am the Eternal Dragon," said the beast in a thunderous tone. "What is your wish?"

Vegeta turned to face the dragon and spoke his wish.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

**18 hours earlier: **

Bulma ticked dates off the wall calendar of the capsule cabin. "Six Dragonballs in eleven days," she said triumphantly. She capped the marker and plopped next to Vegeta on the couch. "That's got to be a record."

Chi Chi and Goku shared a smaller couch off to the side. Krillin sat next to them, comfortably propped up with pillows on the plush carpet.

"We should celebrate," said Chi Chi.

Goku nodded an agreement as scraped the last morsel of a piece of pie off his paper plate. "Seconds on dessert?"

Vegeta opened the Dragonball sack and swiftly counted the six orange spheres reflecting the interior lights. "We still have one to find," he said. "We shouldn't let our guard down until we have completed our mission."

Letting his guard down to stay the night after the search for the previous ball had nearly cost him the entire sack of Dragonballs. He inwardly cringed at the thought of coming so close to failing. If the mayor of the island had gotten his grubby paws on the sack while Vegeta slept, then where would they be?

"Party pooper," chided Bulma, referring to Vegeta's last comment. She put her feet in Vegeta's lap, stretching her muscles after the four-day flight to the group's current location near the Silver Plains, north of East City. "But I guess we should go on and go to bed. We've got another half day of travel ahead of us, but tomorrow we will find the last Dragonball." Bulma curled and uncurled her toes. "Uh, it will be nice to not have to be trapped in the van all day once we get back."

Everyone agreed. Goku brought a second piece of pie to the bedroom with him.

In the boys' bedroom, Vegeta found himself unable to fall asleep. No surprise there. Insomnia was something he was used to, but this felt different. The closest thing he could relate it to was the feeling he used to get the night before purging a warrior-inhabited planet. As a small child, he frequently woke Nappa up in the middle of the night if he couldn't sleep.

Nappa had watched over Vegeta night and day since the prince was born. Vegeta was honor-bound to repay the favor. But what idea continued to bounce around his skull? Squandering the wish on himself for immortality.

It wasn't the first time he had thought of it. Even two months ago, in the moments after Bulma proposed the idea of using the Dragonballs to bring Nappa back to life, Vegeta's mind went instead to a bid for immortality.

What a terrible way to repay the man who practically raised him.

Vegeta felt secretly responsible for Nappa's death in the first place. If he had been at home that night instead of at the dance, would things have turned out differently? Or, would Nappa think Vegeta was a weakling for wanting to bring him back instead of moving on? Would Nappa want Vegeta to choose immortality?

The thoughts rattled around in his brain, chasing away his chances at sleeping. At last, Vegeta accepted the reality that he would not sleep that night and rolled out of bed, careful to not wake the other two boys. He crept silently down the short hallway toward the front door of the capsule camping house. The screen door creaked slightly as he opened it. Vegeta pulled a small bundle of wood from the campfire pile next to the door and tossed it to the ground, igniting it with a blast of energy. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he listened to the nighttime sounds of the plains as he gazed blankly into the fire, letting thoughts churn in his mind.

The hinges on the screen door squealed behind him, but Vegeta didn't turn around. He knew who it was.

"You should oil your door," he said, still facing the flames.

Bulma sat beside him on the grass. She pulled at the blades growing in front of her crossed legs. "Then how would I know when you can't sleep?" she teased playfully. "Nervous?"

"No."

Bulma scooted closer to Vegeta. "It's okay if you are."

"I don't know if I'm ready," said Vegeta quietly.

"Why not?"

"The Prince of Saiyans, wishing back his glorified nanny." Vegeta snorted and ran the back of his hand across his mouth. "Nappa will think I'm weak for bringing him back. Or worse, what if he blames me for it in the first place?"

"That's not true, and you know it," said Bulma. "Nappa will be happy to see you."

"And if he is?" Vegeta brought his knees up to his chest. "Guh, that's even worse."

Bulma rested a hand on his shoulder. "Vegeta, what are you talking about?"

Vegeta bit his lip, debating whether to open his mouth.

"You can tell me."

Vegeta turned and met Bulma's eyes and saw their sincerity. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Because I don't know if I'm going to wish him back!"

Bulma jerked back. She obviously wasn't expecting this response. "What would you wish instead?"

He hated himself for the blatant lie that followed, but he had to test his options. He couldn't look her in the eye as he spoke. "More than anything else, I want to get off this planet and defeat Frieza. Our spaceships were destroyed, and now I can't get off Earth without wishing for it."

That wasn't true. Only Nappa knew the combination for restarting the Saiyan space pods. If Vegeta didn't wish Nappa back to get the codes, he couldn't get off of Earth. No Nappa, no codes. On the other hand, if he wished for Nappa back instead, he doubted he could ever defeat Frieza single-handedly without the added power an immortal body would give him.

To the best of Vegeta's knowledge, none of Earth's spacecrafts had ferried a person past the planet's own moon. Unless…

"That's a stupid dilemma," scoffed Bulma proudly. "You realize who you're talking to, right?"

Vegeta held his breath, waiting for her to continue. Did he actually want this answer?

"I mean, Dad and I can build a spaceship to get you wherever you need to go. Private space travel is way ahead of the clipper ships the government still uses. If you let me take a look at the wreckage I bet I could reverse engineer…"

Vegeta let her ramble on.

So, Nappa wasn't the key to getting off Earth after all. Did that make him feel better or worse? Definitely worse, he decided. So, what was he going to do now? He realized Bulma had stopped talking. He snapped his face to the left and met her eyes.

Bulma sighed. "I said, "It's a good thing you talked to me about it." Is that what's been eating at you all this time?"

"You caught me," mumbled Vegeta. He averted his gaze.

"You're such a dork," laughed Bulma. "You should have come to me about that in the beginning."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm going back to bed." Bulma started to rise but stopped on her knees. She sank back and cupped Vegeta's cheek with her palm. He froze. Unable to pull away. "Vegeta, you may be a little rough around the edges, but I know you have a good heart. Even if we hadn't spoken tonight, I know you would have made the right decision. Whatever you think you are, you're a good person underneath it all." Bulma leaned in and lightly kissed his forehead before standing. "Goodnight." She walked back into the house, shutting the door behind her.

By the fire, Vegeta grit his teeth and dug his fingernails into his legs, hating himself for what he had just done. After all her kindness… After everything she had done for him, this was how he repaid her? A manipulating lie to get what he wanted. Immortality and a way off the planet. And how would he make her build the spacecraft after he double-crossed her? Hold her entire family against their will?

Vegeta dug his fingernails further into his flesh to keep from screaming. What was he doing? He sat in the field and lifted his face to look at the stars, utterly lost.

On any other planet, he would have no trouble deceiving anyone to get what he wanted. But Bulma? This one girl on this one planet believed he was good, even if a lifetime of deeds proved otherwise. Why did she care so much?

Vegeta sagged forward, letting his head drop into his hands. His fingertips pressed where Bulma's lips had brushed his forehead moments before. He sobbed silently.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

The search for the last Dragonball ended quickly, leaving little time for strategic contemplation. Chi Chi found it in a tuft of overgrown grass. Goku and Krillin arranged the balls in a circle. Bulma gave Vegeta an encouraging nudge and called the dragon.

Dark storm clouds rolled across the blackening sky, flashing silver lightning. The bolts illuminated the area in strobes, revealing a monstrous serpent rising from seven gathered Dragonballs.

Vegeta rose from where he knelt on the ground.

"I am the Eternal Dragon," said the beast in a thunderous tone. "What is your wish?"

The question hung in the air. Vegeta felt the electrical energy from the lightning pulse through every word. The moment had arrived. What was his wish?

Even four months ago, Vegeta would have had no trouble wishing for exactly what he wanted. A way to defeat Frieza. That was all that mattered.

But now? Now there were complications. A duty to the man who raised him better than any father. A girl who believed in him more than he believed in himself. A group of friends more loyal than any soldier. Which of these things was he willing to lose?

Vegeta glanced back to look at Bulma. She smiled at him with those trusting eyes. He didn't deserve her, but maybe one day, he could.

Vegeta turned to face the dragon. He spoke his wish. "I wish for the Saiyan, Nappa, to be restored to life."

The dragon's eyes glowed red. "Your wish has been granted."

As quickly as they rolled in, the storm clouds dissipated. With a flash of yellow light, the dragon vanished as well. The Dragonballs scattered in every direction, propelled like orange rockets through the clear blue sky.

The air settled, leaving Vegeta breathlessly standing apart from the group. _So, it's done_, he thought. _No going back and no regrets._

Vegeta accepted the barrage of hugs and congratulatory remarks from his group of friends.

"I don't remember it being so awesome last time!" said Goku.

"That dragon was huge!" said Krillin.

Chi Chi laughed and held onto Goku's arm. "How were you not scared, Vegeta?"

Vegeta turned to face Bulma.

"Nappa will be so proud of you," she said.

Goku scanned the field. "Speaking of Nappa," he said. "Shouldn't he be here right now?"

_Kakarrot's right,_ thought Vegeta. Where was Nappa? His eyes darted across the field, seeing only grass.

"Well, his body is still at Capsule Corp," said Bulma thoughtfully. "I guess if we wanted him here, we should have asked for it." As if on cue, Bulma's cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to answer the call, switching the device to videophone. "Dad! Funny you should call!"

Bulma's father's face filled the screen. "Your friend woke up. But I think he thinks he's somewhere else." Dr. Briefs swiveled the monitor to show a large Saiyan, freshly reanimated, rampaging through the lab, calling for Zarbon to come out and fight him like a man.

"Oh my gosh!" Bulma passed the phone quickly to Vegeta. "Talk some sense into him before he brings down the building!"

Dr. Briefs called out to Nappa. "Excuse me, sir! Over here! You've got a phone call!"

Vegeta shouted the first thing that came to his mind through the receiver. "Nappa, it's me. Calm down! That's an order!" Vegeta couldn't blame him. They had been preserving Nappa's body in one of the Capsule Corp. labs until the wish could be made. Even Vegeta thought that some of the laboratories in the compound looked like Frieza's med-labs at first glance.

At the sound of Vegeta's voice, Nappa froze, holding a metal table aloft with one hand. He rushed over to the video phone, still holding the table ridiculously over his head. "Vegeta? Where are you? Where am I?"

"Good to see you too." Vegeta laughed in spite of himself. "Still on Earth. Remember the girl I went to the dance with?"

Bulma took Vegeta's hand and readjusted the phone to include her face on the screen. "Hi, Mr. Nappa," she said. "Bulma here. You're at my house."

"Where's Zarbon? What happened?"

Vegeta framed Bulma out of the screen. "It's a long story. The short version is that you and Zarbon both died, but you're not dead any more."

"I what? Who killed Zarbon?" Nappa slowly placed the table delicately on the ground.

"I did," replied Vegeta, stone-faced.

Nappa ran his hand over his bald head. "Well I'll be. About time that green slime got what was coming to him. And from you too," he added proudly.

Bulma pushed her way back into frame. "Right? Don't worry we'll explain everything better when we get back. Can I speak to my dad again? Silver hair. Cat on his shoulder."

"Oh." Nappa scooted over to allow Dr. Briefs back into frame.

"Darling, should I ask your mother to set five more plates for dinner?"

"No, it'll take us three days to get home," said Bulma. "We're all the way over north of East City. Take good care of Nappa for us! He'll probably be hungry after being dead so long."

"Alright, darling," said Dr. Briefs. "We'll see you soon."

Nappa's stomach rumbled. "Wait, how long have I been dead?" asked Nappa.

"Bye!" called Bulma as the phone disconnected.

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Three days later, the air van landed in the driveway at Capsule Corp. in West City to a family fanfare. Bulma's parents rushed to greet her, thankful to have their daughter back after a worldwide adventure. Dr. and Mrs. Briefs also gave warm hugs to Goku, Chi Chi, and Krillin.

Vegeta hung back, nervous to meet the eyes of his guardian.

Nappa stepped out from under the doorway where he had been standing. His shadow dwarfed the rest of the Briefs family. "Welcome back," he said.

Seeing Nappa standing in front of him, alive and well, Vegeta knew he had made the right decision, and he wondered why he had ever doubted the choice. "I think I should be saying that to you," said Vegeta.

The two warriors strode forward and gripped each other's arms at the elbows in a traditional Saiyan greeting, until Nappa pushed aside formality and gathered Vegeta in a massive bear hug. Vegeta fought back, laughing as he did so.

"I'm so proud of you, Vegeta," said Nappa, releasing his charge.

Vegeta smiled up at his guardian. And for once, the future looked bright.

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_So, here's where I originally intended to end this story. Lucky for anyone who can't get enough of "Blending In" (mainly me), Vegeta's journey isn't over. There's one big problem looming on the horizon, and leaving it here just wouldn't be right. You know who I'm talking about. Keep reading, cause there's more "Blending In" on the way!_


	19. Gravity

_I'm back with more Blending In. Yes, this is the second time I've posted this chapter. I realized after I posted it the first time that I needed to continue the chapter rather than jump to a new chapter due to plot construction issues and avoiding adding unnecessary conflict that was going to derail the main plot (long story…. I've thought about this for a while). __**So, if you've already read the first part of this chapter, sorry. Jump down about halfway to see the new material.**_

_Ooh, and don't forget to read the author's notes at the end. I'm doing something a little different in the next chapter, and I need reviewer help. :)_

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Chapter Nineteen: Gravity Room

In the months following Nappa's reanimation, the two Saiyans rebuilt the little house in the woods with the help of their new friends. The rest of Vegeta's summer was spent sparring with Goku and hatching plans with Bulma to reverse engineer the Saiyans' space pods into a faster, more efficient interplanetary vehicle.

In fact, Vegeta found himself spending more and more time with Bulma. Even more than he spent training with Goku. The pair's conversation the night before the Dragonball wish, regarding Vegeta's desire to return to space and defeat his former master, led to many shouting matches. Most of these centered on Bulma's belief that Vegeta was crazy to want to actively seek out someone who definitely wanted to kill him. But eventually, Bulma agreed to take the technology from Vegeta and Nappa's space pods and create something that would allow Vegeta to train at a higher gravity and increase his potential before he launched into space and confronted Frieza. A gravity room would give him a fighting chance.

Understandably, Nappa would be very much against Vegeta's plan to return and face Frieza. That's why Vegeta simply didn't tell him. Sure, Vegeta told his guardian about the gravity function of the spaceship. He just didn't tell him that it could fly.

Bulma figured out a way to bypass the activation code sequence easily enough. So, as far as Nappa was concerned, Vegeta's increased time spent with Bulma must have been due to romantic attraction rather than technical dependency.

And even though Vegeta hesitated to admit it, Nappa's suspicions weren't completely unfounded.

Bulma's technical prowess had impressed Vegeta since the two had first met. The more time he spent with her, the more he found her intelligence fascinating. And that wasn't all. She believed in his character, even though she knew the truth behind his past. She stood up to him during any argument, even though her power level was less than some bugs on planets Vegeta had purged. And the way she looked, dressed in that grungy jumpsuit and covered in engine grease after hours of working on the gravity room, made his breath catch.

In the lucid times in between these weaknesses, Vegeta reminded himself that his mission to defeat Frieza came first. But when he was in the moment, sitting up with her late at night in the lab or hanging out with the group when Goku, Chi Chi, Bulma, and he went on what he and Bulma vehemently claimed were not double dates, he couldn't help wondering what it would have been like if she had kissed his lips instead of his forehead that night.

When such distracting thoughts clouded his mind, the only relief from his frustration came from training. Sparring sessions with Goku became daily events. However, Chi Chi seemed to be trying to return the favor of Bulma's matchmaking by having Goku hint to Vegeta to start an official relationship with Bulma. Goku's inability at subtleness could have been humorous, if it wasn't so annoying.

"Enough, Kakarrot!" Vegeta spat as he redirected Goku's axe kick, knocking the other Saiyan off balance. "I have more important things to do with my time than win Bulma's affections. I don't need a girlfriend!"

Goku regained his footing in the field outside Vegeta's house. "Aw, come on Vegeta. It's not so bad. And Chi Chi wants us to go on real double dates."

"I don't care what your harpy wants me to do," said Vegeta.

"Hey!" Goku crossed his arms and pouted. "Don't call Chi Chi names."

"I'm done talking about this." Vegeta stomped away.

"Wait," called Goku. "Where are you going?"

"Bulma's putting the finishing touches on the gravity simulator tonight."

Goku laughed. "I really don't believe you when you say you don't want to date her."

"Go home, Kakarrot," said Vegeta. "I'm going to test out the machine. That's it."

"Admit you like her."

Vegeta growled a response.

"What's this about going to Capsule Corp. tonight?" Nappa walked into the clearing from the pathway to the house. "I was just coming to tell you dinner's ready. Now you're leaving?"

"Gotta go," called Vegeta over his shoulder. "We're turning on the gravity machine tonight."

Nappa shared a knowing look with Goku. "Well, don't stay out too late. And wear your jacket." Nappa picked up Vegeta's jacket from where it lay, forgotten on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah," Vegeta swung the light jacket over his shoulder and took off, flying towards the setting sun.

Vegeta arrived at the back entrance to Capsule Corp. labs just as the sun sank below the horizon. He used his personal key card to let himself in and switched on the lights, revealing the finished gravity room, which would also eventually shuttle him back to face Frieza. The spherical ship loomed over the lab, the product of three months of fabricating and Bulma's technological ingenuity.

"You're here early." Bulma entered from a side door. "I thought you'd be sparring with Goku for another hour or so."

Vegeta smirked. "Not when I could be here." He hesitated for a moment and then added, "Trying out the machine."

Bulma's rolled her eyes. "Well, let's try it out, then. Ready?"

"Sure it will work?" Vegeta prodded.

"I'm the one that programmed it," Bulma swaggered over to the external control panel. "It's going to work." She turned and stuck a finger into Vegeta's chest. "As long as you don't push it too far to fast." She deftly plugged in a sequence of code and rotated the dial 10 degrees. "20 times Earth's gravity."

"I could handle 100 times Earth's gravity." He grabbed the dial and twisted it a full rotation, but the numbers didn't change.

"I put in a failsafe, because I know you," said Bulma. "It only goes past set benchmarks if I put in a password. Let's start out with something I know you'll be able to survive."

"I could handle it." Vegeta stood back and crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps to prove the point. "What's the highest it goes?"

"200 times Earth's gravity, but today, we're staying at 20."

"I won't even break a sweat," he complained.

"You just came from sparring with Goku. You already smell." Bulma turned her nose up and walked away. "Are you getting in or not?"

Vegeta lifted his arm, sniffing his own odor. It wasn't that bad.

Once inside the Gravity Room, lit by dim red bulbs, things began to heat up fast. The extra energy burned to compensate for the increase in gravity produced a sheen of sweat instantaneously. It felt great.

Vegeta's home planet's gravitational pull was about 10 times what Earth's was, but adding another 10 G's to that made even the simplest movements difficult. Just the way he liked it.

After a quick stretch, which proved a work out in itself, Vegeta fell into one of his favorite fighting forms. The difficultly of performing even those practiced movements excited him.

Vegeta emerged from the simulator an hour later on wobbly legs. The short time spent in the room felt more like a day-long training marathon than a measly sixty minute workout. This Gravity Room was going to boost his potential faster and more efficiently than training with any opponent. He wondered what gravity level Goku would be able to handle. Surely not as much as he would.

"What were you saying about 100 times Earth's gravity?" Bulma asked sarcastically. She handed Vegeta a water bottle as he collapsed in a nearby chair.

"That I'm going to work up to it," Vegeta laughed, accepting the drink and pouring half of it on his head. "But set the level to 30 next time."

"So what'd you think?" she asked.

"I need something to hit, though," Vegeta panted. "Maybe some bots?"

"Okay, Mr. Needy," said Bulma. "I guess bots would be a good project." Bulma sat on a second chair and leaned back. "But I was thinking of putting in a stereo though," she mused. Bulma looked over at the clock on the wall and stretched. "It's already nine-thirty," she yawned. "You'd better get back home. I'm going to bed."

"But I've stayed up all night with you to work on this before," Vegeta complained. He did not want to leave. Not after just one workout.

But Bulma was already powering down the machine. "Tomorrow's the first day of school, Vegeta," said Bulma. "I have to get my beauty rest, so I don't look like I've been in the lab all night."

"Who are you trying so hard to impress anyway?"

Bulma rolled her eyes and locked the gravity simulator with a few keystrokes.

"Cheer up," said Bulma. "We're starting our senior year!"

"Hurray," Vegeta deadpanned. With a grimace, Vegeta stood. Stupid password.

"Whatever," said Bulma. "Go home. I'll see you tomorrow."

So, Vegeta left, not looking forward to starting school again. With Nappa back and a whole summer passed for the student body to cool off, it didn't look like Vegeta had any option but to return to high school. Not without some serious badgering from his guardian, which Vegeta would rather avoid.

Vegeta flew home, wandering if one summer really was enough time for a whole school to forget about an alien blowing up the gym.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

No. The other students at West City High School had not forgotten that the gym had been blown to pieces by an alien, apparently trying to collect a bounty on Vegeta's head. Instead, over the summer, tales of the event had churned long enough in the rumor mill that the story sounded more and more like an urban legend rather than anything resembling the truth. "My best friend's boyfriend stayed in the gym, and this is what he saw."

Most of the returning students probably didn't even believe the myths they recirculated to the incoming freshmen, all of which eyed Vegeta with a mixture of awe and pure terror as he entered the building.

He had to admit, it was nice to be respected, but the suspicious glances of the older students and gaping stares of the younger ones legitimately creeped him out.

Vegeta found Bulma in the lobby, comparing newly printed schedules with Chi Chi. He approached, sidestepping a freshmen girl that looked like she either needed to faint or wanted his autograph. He couldn't tell which.

"Looks like you've got fangirls now, Vegeta," remarked Chi Chi, as the younger girl caught herself staring, ducked her head, and scuttled away.

"Wait till they find out he's a prince," teased Bulma.

"A fact I'd rather not share with everyone, thank you." Vegeta took out his neatly folded schedule from his jacket pocket and handed it Bulma, trusting her to find any classes they had in common.

"Now that the cat's out of the bag, I figured you'd want to bask in the glory of your new fame," laughed Bulma, holding the two schedules side by side.

Contemplating this statement for a moment, Vegeta responded with a shrug. "Nappa's not going to be happy about this. I was supposed to keep a low profile."

"How exactly did Nappa get you enrolled again anyway?" asked Chi Chi. "You didn't even show up for the last month of class."

"Uh."

Bulma answered for him, not looking up from the schedules. "Dad helped Nappa draw up some paperwork claiming illness or death of a family member and that Vegeta had to stay home to care for him."

"I guess that's not a total lie," said Chi Chi. "You just kind of combined the two situations." She scanned the crowd. "Has anyone seen Goku this morning?"

On cue, Goku rounded the corner, clutching a steaming breakfast burrito in each hand. "There you guys are!" he said. "The food truck across the street had a two for one special this morning. Want one?" He offered one of the foil-wrapped entrees to Chi Chi. It oozed refried beans and eggs and smelled like it might have an entire bottle of hot sauce poured on it.

"No thanks," she eyed the burrito with revulsion. "I already ate."

With a shrug, he downed the burrito in two bites.

Bulma handed the schedule back to Vegeta. "History with me sixth period. Don't be late," she said. "Goku, let me see yours."

Goku fished a crumpled schedule from his backpack, smoothing it on his leg with his free hand. He handed it to Bulma.

After a quick scan, Bulma's face lit up. "Awesome!" she said. "We've all got lunch together again."

The bell rang, and students hurried to make it to class.

"Meet at the same table," she called as she dashed away.

Vegeta awkwardly made it through the first day back at school. Though not as dauntingly difficult as his first day in the spring, his return brought up new challenges. The teachers seemed even more unnerved by his presence than the students. Not that he really cared what anybody here thought of him.

Regardless, it was going to be a long year.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

**_Okay, I'm doing something a little different for the next chapter, but I need reviewer help. I'm writing a bunch of short 100-word drabbles taking place over the next year of our heroes' lives. Everything from holidays to silly "slice of life" situations, centering on the development of Bulma and Vegeta's rocky relationship. So, if you have a prompt for one of these, let me know in a review. _**


	20. The Difference a Year Makes

_Thanks to everyone that submitted a prompt! Let the time skip begin._

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Chapter Twenty: The Difference a Year Makes

**History Test: **September 24

For a people with such a depressingly weak collective power level, Eaarthings engaged in tribal warfare more than any other society Vegeta had witnessed.

"You mean in all of your planet's recorded history, there have only been a handful of years when someone's not fighting someone else, and you're all still utter weaklings?

"Thank you for that summation, Vegeta," Bulma rolled her eyes. Maybe inviting him for a history study session was a bad idea.

"How is that even possible?" Vegeta flipped through his textbook. "With all the war, wouldn't you even develop a little power?"

Earth history was weird.

**Fall Festival: **October 20

The thrill rides at the school's Fall Festival didn't impress Vegeta. Most were anything but thrilling. But, when the Ferris wheel lost power and his and Bulma's seat swung hazardously at the top of the wheel, Bulma's sudden attachment to his torso got his blood pumping.

"Could you not scream?" Vegeta grumbled as he unfolded her arms from his waist. He hoped she didn't see him blushing in the dark.

"Sorry." She kept hold of the fabric of his jacket. "I just wasn't expecting it." She relaxed into him and smiled, gazing over the midway. "But it's not so bad."

**Baby Pictures: **November 3

**(Artimes' Thorns: I think I'd be funny if Nappa showed Bulma and the others Vegeta's baby pictures.)**

Bulma came over for dinner once a week. Nappa insisted he pay her back somehow for all the meals Vegeta ate at Capsule Corp. One night, she brought her family photo album to show Nappa pictures of what a typical Earthling's childhood looked like.

"I have to show you something," said Nappa, getting up from the couch. He returned holding a single tattered photo. "This is the only picture I have of him, and it survived the fire."

In the picture, a five-year-old Vegeta scowled at the lens.

Bulma squealed happily.

Vegeta groaned, slapping a hand over his reddening face.

**Improvement: **November 16

Goku loved sparring in the Gravity Room almost as much as Vegeta, and the two Saiyan warriors spent more and more time together in the training area as the school year progressed. Having someone as equally matched as Goku to train with in such an environment sped Vegeta's development enormously. Both boys discovered potential Vegeta never dreamed either possessed. As the months passed, they were able to notch the gravity higher and higher. By mid-November, Vegeta barely broke a sweat at 50x Earth's gravity, a feat that would have been impossible for his body to survive just months before.

**Mistletoe No-No: **December 21

**(DBZRocks153: You should do one of Vegeta and Bulma sharing their first lip-on-lip kiss)**

Capsule Corp.'s Christmas party allowed Chi Chi to deploy project Matchmaking Mistletoe. Bulma and Vegeta stood, chatting about Bulma's pending university applications. They didn't see Chi Chi sneak behind them and hold the bundle aloft.

Vegeta noticed it first. Bulma giggled.

"It's tradition," announced Chi Chi, proudly. "Now kiss."

"Wait, what?" Vegeta stammered. "What is that?"

Goku appeared. "It's mistletoe." He shoved Vegeta's shoulder playfully.

Vegeta stumbled into Bulma, planting his lips on hers accidentally. She kissed back.

Vegeta panicked at wave of warmth washing over his body. He did the only logical thing he could think of. He ran.

**Overload: **February 12

Vegeta found the Gravity Room override password on a cold February weekend, scrawled on a Post-It note in the lab. Immediately, he set the level at 225x Earth's gravity, which was 50x more than his current Bulma-dictated limit of 175x.

He could handle it, he told himself.

He couldn't handle it. The GR buckled under the excess pressure and took Vegeta with it.

He woke up in the health clinic with fractured ribs, burns, and a serious concussion.

Bulma wouldn't fix GR until he promised to behave. Then, she changed the password and didn't speak to him for a week.

**Timing: **February 17

Vegeta awkwardly kept his distance from Bulma until she cooled off. She approached him first. "What were you trying to do? Kill yourself?"

"I have to get stronger faster," he said. "There's not much time."

Bulma softened. "When?"

A lone bandage still covered a wound on his hand. He chewed on the wrapping stubbornly. "After the school year, I think. I have to leave."

"Stay," she whispered. "You don't have to fight him."

"I do," said Vegeta. "Every day Frieza has a better chance of finding me. Of finding out about you. Zarbon used you against me. He'd do worse."

**Acceptance: **March 1

"I got it! I got in!" Bulma skipped through Capsule Corp., brandishing her acceptance to Central University. She shoved the paper into Vegeta's hands. "Read it."

Vegeta read the letter, which accepted Bulma into the engineering program and offered her a full scholarship. "That's great," he said gruffly. He knew how badly she wanted this.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Vegeta shrugged. He hadn't put much thought into the future other than his own upcoming trip into space. At least Bulma would be safe here doing what she loved. He recovered. "You're already leagues above the other students anyway."

She beamed.

**Double Date: **March 12

With the arrival of spring, Chi Chi and Goku dropped enough hints about double dates that Vegeta finally agreed just to shut them up.

The four students played something called "mini golf." Vegeta didn't even know what full-size golf was, but the rules were simple enough.

For Vegeta, the difficulty was controlling his newly strengthened muscles. All that work in the Gravity Room made putting difficult. He sliced a ball through a car window, and the couples scattered.

"You should have seen your face, Vegeta," laughed Bulma later over coffee. She contorted her face into a grimacing impression.

Vegeta grimaced.

**In the Past: **April 6

**(WildVegeta: something showing a bit more of Vegeta's past, maybe him talking to Bulma about it)**

Bulma made Vegeta take a rest day each week from Gravity Room training. One week, they went hiking.

"This is dumb," said Vegeta. The mist from a waterfall sprayed his face. "But it is actually kind of fun."

Bulma sat beside him on a rock. "What did you do for fun growing up?"

He ducked his head, suddenly serious, and she was sorry she asked.

"I didn't," he said.

She thought he might continue, but Vegeta left it at that.

"I'm glad you came here, Vegeta," said Bulma.

Vegeta closed his eyes, feeling the coolness of the mist. "Me too."

**Legendary: **April 23

"And that's Legend of the Peaceful Warrior," finished Bulma.

Vegeta enjoyed hearing Bulma recount Earthling legend during their literature study sessions, even if the strongest Earthling warrior couldn't win a thumb wrestling competition against him.

"What about your planet, Vegeta?" she asked. "Did you have any stories like that?"

"Only one," he said thoughtfully. "There's a story Nappa told me about a Saiyan warrior stronger than any other. The Legendary Super Saiyan."

"And that's what you want to become?" Bulma asked.

"It's just a legend. But maybe."

"If anyone could, it's you… or maybe Goku."

"Kakarot? Don't make me laugh."

**Boost: **May 1

"I need a boost," Vegeta said, frustrated after a workout. "For Frieza."

"That's what the Gravity Room is for," said Bulma. "You've been training so hard."

Vegeta shook his head. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. "I want to wish for eternal life."

"For what?"

"It's the only way I can beat him. Will you help me find the Dragonballs again?"

Bulma swallowed hard. He had planned all along to launch after the school year ended. How long had he wanted to make that wish?

"I don't want the others to know."

"Just me and you," she said.

**The Difference a Year Makes **May 24

Bulma wasn't in the lab when Vegeta arrived at Capsule Corp. He reached out, searching for her flicker of a power level, something he had finally mastered sometime around January. He found her in the garden, sniffling by the pond.

"What it is?" he asked sitting next to her.

"You've gotten so strong."

"After the wish, I'll be even stronger," he said.

Bulma shook her head. "I'm worried about you, I guess. That you won't come back."

"I will, if I can," Vegeta promised, not even worrying about the fond feelings bubbling inside him. That's the difference a year makes.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

**_Wow! Keeping each of these to 100 was really hard! Read and review. _**


	21. Lift Off

_Two updates in a week? Well, that hasn't happened in a while. Thanks to everyone who gave me prompts for the previous chapter. It's been pretty slice-of-life heavy for the last couple go-arounds. Time for some plot!_

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter 21: Lift Off

"What is that supposed to be?" asked Bulma, poking the pile of clothing Vegeta held. "A plastic jumpsuit?"

With a sneer, Vegeta clutched the bundle tighter to his chest. "It's armor," he shot back. "More durable than anything on this planet. And I'm going to need it." He'd brought it with him to store in the Gravity Room as part of final preparations for his trip in the spaceship, after longing for the familiarity of the body-conforming armor for quite some time. Clearly, Bulma did not comprehend its effectiveness.

"Are you even going to fit into it?" she asked. "It's tiny."

"It expands," explained Vegeta, stretching the breastplate with ease. He set the bundle in an open compartment in the cockpit and closed the latch.

For months, he and Bulma had secretly planned his return trip to Frieza's central planet to face his former master. No one knew about the flight capabilities of the Gravity Room, except for the two of them, and the cockpit area had been secretly sealed off since the start of the school year. Now, with graduation over, the lone hurdle remaining was to gather the Dragonballs and wish for immortality before he left Earth behind.

After just over a year of living on this "backwater planet," as he had called it upon arriving, Vegeta's desire to leave Earth lessened each day. Nappa had once told him that life was unpredictable.

By the time Nappa discovered Vegeta missing, the younger Saiyan would be too far gone for Nappa to catch up. The Gravity Room provided six times the thrust of their tiny pods. Surely, Nappa wouldn't blame Bulma for her involvement in the plot. No, Vegeta claimed full responsibility for his own actions. He trusted that Nappa could accept that.

He hoped immortality on top of a year's worth of gravity training would give him the edge he needed and not allow Frieza to torture him for all eternity. A miscalculation that erroneous would be unfortunate.

With luck, his mission would be successful and allow Vegeta to return to Earth and live a life out of the shadow of constant fear an immanent attack from Frieza provided. There was a lot to live for on Earth, as surprised as he was to finally admit.

"What are you looking at?" asked Bulma.

Vegeta realized he had been staring off into space. "Nothing." He shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts, but not really succeeding. "Thinking about the trip."

Bulma met his eyes. "I know I've said this before, but you don't have to do this." Her knitted eyebrows gave away the pleading nature of the statement. Please, don't go.

She would never forbid him. It was his choice. But it hurt to watch her look at him that way.

"I do," he said gruffly. "We both know I do."

With a hitching breath, Bulma attempted to steady herself, but she only shook her head.

"I won't live in fear." Retreating to Earth had been a cowardly move, even if it had saved his and Nappa's lives. Returning to face Frieza would free Vegeta of the guilt of running away. No more nightly panic attacks, dreading waking to find Frieza looming over his bed. No more looking over his shoulder, expecting the tyrant to attack at any moment. No more terrorizing images of how the monster would use Bulma against him in worse ways than Zarbon had done. Freedom from fear. Only a wish away.

"I won't miss your stubbornness," said Bulma affectionately. Then, she closed the gap between them and embraced him in a tight hug.

His mind flashed to his first week of school, when she launched herself into him after breaking up with Yamcha. Her physical contact, which for so long seemed so foreign, felt more welcoming than he had expected. He lowered his head into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent and feeling her body pressed against his. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity.

"Promise me you'll come back," she whispered at last.

"I have a reason to."

She drew her head back slightly, questioning his statement with her eyes. "Vegeta, I—"

Before she finished, he closed the gap between them again, pressing his lips to hers.

It wasn't like the mistletoe kiss. Quick. Unexpected. Panicked.

This kiss contained all the things he feared to tell her and the words he could never find. It thanked her for her unwavering trust in his character, even when he lacked it himself. And it sealed his resolve to fight his way back to Earth. To return to her, because no one else in his entire life had ever treated him with the compassion she gave so freely.

Bulma returned the kiss, threading her hand through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Oops. Am I interrupting something?"

Both Bulma and Vegeta separated immediately, twisting to find Goku awkwardly standing beside the control panel of the ship.

"Oh my god," Bulma balked, hiding her flushed cheeks with both hands. "Goku!"

"Kakarot!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Goku backed up with hands raised. "I saw the lights on and figured you were training. I didn't think—" He continued to backpedal until he was pressed against the controls. Then he sat, off-balance from the retreat. Something under his rear end gave way.

"_Launch sequence initiated," _said a computerized voice.

"Whoops," gulped Goku. He turned and noticed the controls. "Wait, is this thing actually a space ship?"

"_Pressurizing Air Locks._" The doors to the outside closed and locked into place.

Bulma ran to the control panel, roughly shoving Goku out of the way and keying in the commands to stop the launch. "Oh no. Oh no! Stop the launch!"

"_Stasis gas released." _A soft whine filled the cabin, and the air instantly became hazy.

Bulma succumbed to the gas first, slumping over before she could complete the codes. Goku followed soon after. Vegeta fought against it, but he soon felt the familiar levity that came with falling into suspended animation. He had slipped into the twilightish haze more times than he could count on purging missions throughout his life. Bulma had reverse-engineered that aspect of the Saiyan pods for this space journey as well.

Vegeta crawled to the control board, desperately clawing at the keys to stop the ignition sequence, but his hands refused to cooperate with his brain. Unable to support his own weight, he slid down to the floor, eyelids closing against his will. With the last bit of his remaining strength, he turned his head towards Bulma. Her face was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Vegeta stirred, stretching muscles achy from falling asleep on hard tile. There was something important he needed to remember. What was it?

"_Ten minutes to destination," _announced the computer.

His eyes snapped open, and Vegeta scrambled upright. "Oh no. No, no, no." His litany continued as checked on the status of his companions. Goku was waking up beside him. Near his feet, Bulma moaned and cracked her eyes open. Vegeta speeded the process, shaking both of them and rousing them from a hazy stupor.

"Hey," said Vegeta. "You both need to wake up. Right now."

"Where are we?" asked Goku.

"What day is it?" asked Bulma, sleepily.

The computer answered the question. "_Position: 60,000 miles above Planet Cold. Date:_ _October 20,"_ it beeped.

"October 20th? October 20th!" Bulma jerked into alertness. "It was June 1st when we left. Crap! I missed orientation! People say you have reoccurring dreams about forgetting to attend one college class. I didn't go to ANY of them. I've flunked out, and I haven't even gotten to college yet!"

"Bulma!" Vegeta tried in vain to get her attention.

"Oh my god, I've got to call Mom. She'll be worried sick." Bulma pushed herself into the console seat to call home.

Before she could dial, Vegeta grabbed her hands at the wrists, stilling her movement. "Don't use the radio," he commanded.

She stopped, noticing for the first time the fear etched on his face. "Why?" she asked slowly.

He let go. She felt his hands shake. "Because we're in range for the call to be traced."

Bulma lifted her gaze to look out the front windshield. A massive planet with sickly green swirling clouds filled the view. "I entered the coordinates you gave me when I programmed the flight," she said. "Is this?—"

"Can you turn us around?" asked Goku.

"Yeah," said Bulma. "Yeah, let's turn around." She made a few hesitant keystrokes, but the navigation system did not respond.

"Tractor beam," said Vegeta. "Standard procedure for unidentified ships entering Cold airspace. Just- just stay calm."

"Are you saying that to me or you?" asked Bulma quietly. She put a hand on his arm. "Vegeta?"

Vegeta pulled his arm away roughly and paced back and forth. "He's probably not even here. He's probably on his spaceship, enslaving some planet a whole galaxy away. We can land, beat up a few people, and get out of here before anyone important notices."

"Vegeta." Goku had noticed the tremor in his friend's demeanor as well. "What is that?" Goku pointed to a dot on the horizon. The object caught the light, emerging from the shadow of the planet it orbited. A massive space ship. "It feels… cold."

"No." Vegeta backed away from the window. "No, no, no." But there was no doubt. He felt Frieza's presence like an icy wind. One that sends the Sun behind the clouds, leaving the world cloaked in grey, deathly shadows. "We're dead," he announced to no one in particular. Vegeta slid down the wall at the back of the control room and met each of their eyes in turn, silently apologizing. "We're dead," he repeated.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to be here on his own time schedule _after_ gaining immortality. Bulma was supposed to be safe at college. Kakarot was not part of the plan. Everything was wrong. It was over. They were all as good as dead. He put his head in his hands and shuddered as every nightmare he'd had since his arrival on Earth came true all at once.

"_Five minutes to destination," _announced the computer.

Vegeta let his hands drop to his sides, empty eyes gazing at nothing. A sharp slap snapped him out of his trance.

The slap hurt Bulma more that it did Vegeta. She clutched her own hand. "Don't you dare give up on us, Vegeta," she said. "We need a plan, and we need a plan now."

"I don't have one," Vegeta said tiredly. "I ran away. He's going to kill me. He's going to kill all of us, and he's going to enjoy it."

Bulma surveyed the cockpit, weighing the options. "We're your prisoners," she announced after a moment.

Goku tilted his head to the side, confused.

"We're your prisoners. You're sorry you left, and you're bringing a peace offering." Bulma put the pieces together. "Goku can be a soldier in Frieza's army. He's strong enough. I can be an engineer. I built this ship. I can figure out the technology. I'll have to."

Vegeta bit his lip. Could he convince Frieza that he returned of his own free will? Would it work? It had to.

Steeling his resolve, Vegeta stood. "Clear the navigation logs," he told Bulma.

"We need the coordinates to get home," she said.

"Memorize them," Vegeta commanded. "Once we leave this ship, they're going to try to find out where you came from. If they find the coordinates for Earth, Frieza will make it his priority to enslave the planet. Wipe the drives."

"On it," Bulma nodded.

"Kakarot, suppress your power level as much as you can," ordered Vegeta. "We're both too strong to fly under the radar here. Don't let them know your full potential."

"Yeah," Goku took a deep breath, willing his energy to decrease in waves until Vegeta could barely feel his presence.

"Now, I'm going to change." With that, Vegeta opened the compartment housing his armor. He stripped down to his underwear and donned the battle armor. Bulma was right. He had grown during the year, and the blue under suit didn't quite reach his wrists and ankles. Luckily, his gloves and boots covered the exposed skin. His breastplate stretched to accommodate the new muscles honed from gravity training. "How do I look?" he asked.

Bulma gave him a quick up and down. His tail, which stayed under his shirt on Earth, was visible, wrapped around his waist. The under suit conformed to his muscles, enhancing the shapes of different muscle groups she'd never noticed on him before. He wore a blazon on his breastplate she recognized. She'd seen him doodle it during study sessions when he was bored. A crimson cape completed the ensemble. He looked regal and imposing. Less like the boy she knew and more like a sinister warrior. "Like a space invader," she said finally.

"Good," he said. Vegeta masked the fear threatening to overwhelm his visage and assumed a confident, somewhat cocky façade. "Now hail the ship. I wish to speak with Lord Frieza."

Bulma pressed a button, requesting a video transmission back from the recipient. Within moments, an orange face filled the screen.

"Prince Vegeta," exclaimed the alien. "Now there's a face I never thought I'd see again."

"Patch me in to Lord Frieza, Cranburry," instructed Vegeta. "I've returned. With guests."

Cranburry's eyes shifted to Bulma and Goku, who stood behind Vegeta, looking as much like frightened prisoners as they could. "Lord Frieza is occupied at the moment," said the alien. "But I will alert him to your arrival. He will be… surprised. Proceed to Docking Bay 4." The transmission ended, and the tiny spacecraft changed course slightly to line up with its assigned bay.

"We're in," announced Vegeta. He hoped he could pull this off. All their lives depended on his performance over the next few minutes.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Goku managed to launch them into space by using only his butt. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is. Please send me a review of this chapter. I've been waiting ages to write it! I've had this upcoming arc of the story planned out for almost a year._

_Also… they kissed! Ahhhhhhh!_


	22. Homecoming

_Sorry for the cliffhanger last time, you guys. But then again, I'm leaving you with another one this time around too. Whoops._

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter 22: Homecoming

Airlocks latched into place, sending a shudder through the entire structure and locking the Gravity Room ship into Docking Bay 4 of Frieza's spaceship.

"There's not much time." Vegeta stood in front of the door to the cockpit. Frieza's men would open the hatch any second. "Just follow my lead, show respect, and don't speak unless directly asked a question."

"I'm sorry, guys," said Goku quickly, staring at the tile floor in shame. "This mess is my fault."

"Later, Kakarot," hissed Vegeta. "There's no compassion on this ship. Remember that."

Goku nodded. Beside him, Bulma nervously shifted her weight, waiting for the inevitable arrival of Frieza's men.

"If we survive the next fifteen minutes, meet at my barracks at the end of the day. Number 318," said Vegeta.

"What do we do until then?" asked Bulma.

Vegeta's mouth twitched up in response as he remembered Nappa's advice on his first day of high school and how perfectly it applied to this situation. "Just try to blend in," he said.

Bulma and Goku nodded.

With a metallic grind, the doors to the cockpit opened, and four low-level soldiers rushed in, weapons drawn. Vegeta didn't recognize any of them. _Must be new recruits_, he thought.

Bulma and Goku stiffened as two of the soldiers jabbed the weapon's muzzles into their backs, urging the group forward. With two more guns pointed at his back, Vegeta led the way into the open loading area of the docking bay as confidently as he dared.

Frieza sat in a hovering pod-like throne of a chair at the far end of the loading area, surrounded by several of his high-ranking staff. The alien drew back dark lips into a sinister smile as Vegeta approached. "Prince Vegeta. The prodigal son returns."

"Lord Frieza," Vegeta gracefully descended into a practiced one-knee bow. "I apologize for my absence. As penance, I've returned with captives from a foreign planet." He turned to Bulma and Goku, addressing them roughly. "You will bow to your new master."

After a sidewise glance at one another, Bulma and Goku each sank to one knee, copying Vegeta's example.

Frieza's eyes darted momentarily to Bulma and Goku before settling back on the Saiyan prince. "Where have you been for so long, my little princeling? And where is your babysitter?"

Several of Frieza's senior staff chuckled.

Ignoring the chortles, Vegeta addressed the tyrant. "I killed Nappa after he tricked me into deserting," lied Vegeta smoothly. "I had no way off Planet Artafiss until I coerced this engineer into building a spacecraft." He gestured to Bulma. "The people of the planet are soft-hearted fools, but this warrior was the only one to fight against me." He pointed to Goku. "He wasn't much of a challenge for an elite warrior, but he would make a fine addition to your reserve troops. And this woman is the most intelligent scientist from her planet. Perhaps she would make a good lab assistant."

Beside Frieza, a bulbous pink alien spoke. "We do have a shortage of lab assistants since last month's unfortunate accident with the hydrogen fusion reactor. She could take the entry test."

"What happened with the hydrogen reactor?" Bulma butted into the conversation, forgetting her manners in excitement over scientific babble. "Was it an issue with the coolant? Because my school practicum—"

"You will remain silent unless a superior asks you a question, prisoner!" spat the bulging alien.

Bulma quickly clapped a hand over her own mouth as Vegeta shot her a withering look. He had warned her.

"Excellent idea, Dodoria," Frieza mused, ignoring both outbursts.

"Although, if she fails to qualify…" leered Dodoria.

Frieza flippantly waved a hand, dismissing the thought. "Yes, yes. You can have her." He stopped, resting his chin on folded fingers. "That is, unless Vegeta wants the little female for himself."

Vegeta scoffed, "I have no interest in her."

Conversing with Frieza was like playing a game of chess, except every move brought with it the chance of instant death. He had seen it before. Soldiers pierced with deadly beams of energy for speaking out of turn on a day when their master was in a turbulent mood. Over the course of Vegeta's life, he had honed his ability to think several moves ahead, gauging what the tyrant would say or how he would react to certain subjects and responses. More than a year's absence had caused him to fall out of practice.

Vegeta tried to reroute the conversation, hoping his next question wouldn't set the monster off. "But speaking of shortages, where is Zarbon?"

Leaning back in his chair, Frieza sighed. "An interesting query, Vegeta," he said. His eyes flicked up, locking with the Saiyan prince's. "You wouldn't happen to know the answer?"

"I'm afraid I don't, Lord Frieza," said Vegeta without averting his gaze.

"Very well," shrugged Frieza. "If I am to accept your prisoners and your apology, we must first test to see if these new recruits are worthy. First, the soldier. What is your name?"

Goku took a step forward. "My name is Goku."

Dodoria's hand went to his scouter. The machine beeped, registering Goku's power level. "1,100," said Dodoria. "Not bad. You." He pointed to one of the low level soldiers that had escorted the group from the ship to the loading bay. "Fight him."

Goku stole a glance at Vegeta, who nodded a fraction of an inch.

Both Goku and the low level soldier stepped into the center of the loading bay. Other soldiers crowded around, encircling the two warriors in a crude fighting ring.

Goku was the only one that bowed. Taking his eyes off his opponent for less than a second provided the other soldier a window to attack.

The man drew his gun quickly, firing at Goku with a shaky hand. The Saiyan deflected it easily.

Vegeta gauged the soldier's ability. The man was untrained, probably one of the newest combatants on the ship, and he was no marksman. His energy signature was next to nothing. Most likely, he didn't even know how to harness his energy. It wasn't a fair fight, but Vegeta didn't care. Goku could easily win the battle without unveiling his hidden power.

Goku waited for the man to attack again.

The soldier rushed him, screaming a raging battle cry as he advanced.

Gracefully avoiding the attack, Goku countered, using the soldier's momentum against him.

Again and again, the soldier charged. Each time, Goku redirected the assault until the man sagged in exhaustion, winded from the effort.

Goku turned to Frieza. "He's outmatched. The fight is over."

Frieza smirked. "Kill him," he ordered.

Goku took a step back. "What?"

"You heard Lord Frieza," said Dodoria. "If you want to serve on this ship, you obey our rules. This is a fight to the death."

Turning back to face his opponent, Goku saw the gut-wrenching fear in the man's eyes and hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

Vegeta had suspected Goku had never taken a life. Now the boy's reluctance to make the kill proved it. Silently, Vegeta willed the other Saiyan to man up and just do it already. He stole a glance at Frieza. Impatience radiated off his form in waves.

"I won't," said Goku resolutely.

Wrong answer. Frieza's eye twitched, and Vegeta knew he had to act quickly, or their plan was sunk. Vegeta strode forward into the ring and made the kill shot without hesitation. The soldier dropped instantly, terrorized eyes suddenly vacantly dim. Vegeta heard Bulma gasp behind him, and the sound cut him deeply. She'd most likely never seen death, and he hated to imagine what she thought of him right now. But Vegeta swallowed the guilt, pushing the emotions down. "I believe I told you there was no room for compassion here," he said, glaring at Goku. "You'll have to man up if you want a place on this ship."

With his mouth hanging open, Goku searched for a response, finding none. Instead, he stared at Vegeta in disbelief.

"Prince Vegeta is right," said Frieza. "You'll have to learn to kill if you're to survive here. However, you are lucky. You're power level is high enough to qualify for the reserve troops. Follow Dodoria to the armory. And you?" He addressed Bulma.

"Bulma Briefs." Her voice wavered.

"Come here, my dear," said the tyrant, holding out his hand.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, Bulma approached the hover chair.

Frieza seized her hand, bringing it to his lips and brushing it with a kiss.

Vegeta bristled, trying not to telegraph his mental cry for Frieza to get away from her.

"It is an honor to have such a beauty on our ship," said Frieza. "Follow Mango to the engineering labs for the proficiency test."

A tall alien with green and orange speckled skin led her away. Bulma tried to catch Vegeta's eyes as she passed, but he forced himself to ignore her.

Frieza turned to Vegeta. "You'll find your barracks as you left them. Welcome back, my little prince." With that, he activated his hover chair and left the makeshift arena, leaving Vegeta standing alone as the crowd thinned.

Vegeta navigated the familiar metal-lined halls of Frieza's spaceship until he arrived at the barracks he had shared with Nappa and Raditz for the majority of his life. He entered the door code and found the space exactly just as he left it more than a year ago. Nappa's bed was neatly made. Raditz's belongings still littered the bed and surrounding floor space the deceased Saiyan used to occupy. Vegeta staggered to his own bed and sat down heavily. Was Frieza really going to let him off the hook that easily? No, the monster must be playing head games. It couldn't be that simple. It never was.

He sat on the edge of the mattress, fingers interlocked with his elbows on his knees and waited.

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Finally, there was a knock at the door. Vegeta opened the latch, finding Goku standing in the hallway wearing an armored uniform and a scouter over one eye. "Get in here, idiot," said Vegeta, roughly pulling the other boy through the opening.

After securing the door behind them, Vegeta spun around. "What were you thinking? How could you refuse to kill that soldier?"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry," apologized Goku. "But I couldn't kill him. He didn't deserve to die. Not like that."

Vegeta rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers, feeling a headache forming. "It doesn't matter if he deserved it or not, Kakarot. If Frieza gives you an order, you do it. End of story. Do you even realize how close you were to getting us all killed?"

"You didn't even give him a chance."

"I gave him a quick and painless death, which is more than Frieza would do," Vegeta countered.

Goku pressed his lips together and avoided Vegeta's glare. Finally, he pulled an object from a pouch on his armor. "Dodoria told me to give you this." He handed Vegeta another scouter.

The Saiyan prince accepted the device, securing it to his ear.

Vegeta had forgotten how different the world looked from behind a scouter. The red tint of the lens washed the vision of his left eye in a bloody crimson. Tiny yellow numbers flashed across his peripheral in a constant stream of information, beeping continuously as the device warmed up.

"I don't need it anymore," he sighed, turning the machine off and tossing it on his bed. He could sense energy now, and the device was giving him a headache.

Another knock at the door. Vegeta opened it. Bulma practically bounced in.

"I passed!" she exclaimed. "Nearly perfect score. Mango said I broke a record!"

Vegeta sat back on the bed with a grunt.

"Great job, Bulma," said Goku.

"And you should see the lab I get to work in," she said. "This place has the coolest technology!"

"I'm so happy you're so happy to be here," said Vegeta in a snarking deadpan.

"Well, no." Bulma deflated slightly. "But we're in," she said. "And we're not dead."

"Unlike the guy Vegeta killed," mumbled Goku.

"I swear, Kakarot," growled Vegeta. "Let it go, or you're next."

Bulma recoiled at his sudden outburst. "Whoa, slow down," she soothed.

Vegeta and Goku glared at each other until Bulma pushed herself between them. "We are not going to fight, okay? Okay?"

"Whatever," mumbled Vegeta under his breath.

Suddenly, another knock came from the door. All three of them froze.

"Hide," ordered Vegeta.

Bulma and Goku scrambled into the bathroom and shut themselves inside.

Vegeta opened the door to the hallway and found a familiar purple fishy face standing before him. "Cui."

"Vegeta, good to see you," said Cui. "I can't believe you came back. Frieza's been looking all over for you. You wouldn't believe the bounty on your head."

"Try me." Vegeta crossed his arms.

"Too high, if you ask me," laughed the purple alien.

Vegeta grunted. "What do you want?"

Cui smiled. "Lord Frieza requests to speak with you privately. He's waiting for you in his throne room."

The color drained from Vegeta's face. "Oh."

"Yeah. Good luck, then," said Cui. He turned and left.

So, that was Frieza's game. Vegeta shut the door. "He's gone."

Bulma and Goku exited the bathroom.

"What do you think he wants to talk with you about?" asked Goku.

"I have to go," said Vegeta, using the wall as support.

"Are you alright?" asked Bulma. "Vegeta?"

Vegeta shook his head. "Listen," he said. "If-if I'm not back here in two hours, check the med bay. If you don't find me there, run. Just run. Get off this ship, and get away from this planet any way you can."

"What?" Bulma whispered.

Vegeta grabbed Goku by the shoulders. "Kakarot, swear you'll take care of her if I don't come back," he said.

Goku flinched. "But you will."

"Swear."

"I swear. But—"

Vegeta nodded. Then, he turned to Bulma. "I'm sorry," he said to her, quickly kissing her cheek. Vegeta left before she could respond.

In the hallway, Vegeta struggled to put one foot in front of the other as he made his way to Frieza's throne room. He had to do it. After all, if Frieza gives an order, you obey.

Finally, Vegeta stood in front of the massive ornately decorated double doors. Cold sweat slid slowly down his back, chilling him even more than the icy presence in the next room. He took a deep breath and knocked.

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

**_I live to hear what you guys think! Please review this story!_**


	23. Apology Accepted

_This story has pushed past the 50,000-word mark, which officially makes it the longest thing I've ever written. _

_Warning: This chapter gets a little dark, so read on with caution. _

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

Chapter 23: Apology Accepted

The heavy doors to Frieza's throne room creaked open automatically, and a rush of cold air escaped into the hallway past Vegeta. Inside, Frieza stood with his back to the door, facing a convex window with a panoramic view of the turbulent cloud cover over the planet below.

"Come in, Vegeta." Frieza didn't turn around.

With one parting glance back at the hallway, Vegeta entered the room. The door shut behind him with a snap, trapping him with the monster from his nightmares. He balled his hands into fists in an effort to still their shaking.

Frieza loved reminding Vegeta of the absolute control he possessed over the Saiyan prince, and he preferred to do it out of the public eye. Vegeta had entertained private audiences with Frieza before, and the results were never positive. Twice, he'd barely escaped with his life. The first when he was seven and returned from a purging mission with an insufficient kill count. The second on his thirteenth birthday, after he'd mouthed off in the presence of numerous senior staff. Most of the time, the private meetings ended with a few bumps and bruises. Petty punishments for minor infractions.

But this time… This time was different. The crime was too great. Deserting… running away like an absolute coward. Almost escaping the clutches of the most powerful dictator the galaxy had ever seen. There was no way Frieza would let this infraction stand.

Vegeta cleared his throat. "You wished to speak with me, Lord Frieza?"

"Let's throw away any pretense of formality, shall we?" Frieza turned, his snake-like tail curling behind his legs. "Where have you been?"

"Planet Artafi-"

"There are no records of any coordinates on your ship," said Frieza. "Do you think me a fool?"

"There was a solar flare. It fried the navigation systems."

"I know you're lying to me, Vegeta" chided Frieza. He sauntered forward, circling Vegeta in a slowly tightening spiral. "And if there's one thing I do not tolerate, it's lying." He spoke the last bit over Vegeta's shoulder, inches from his ear. "Now tell me the truth."

Vegeta held absolutely still, unwilling to flinch away from the tyrant's invasive presence.

"No?" Frieza whispered. The monster was in front of him now, polluting the air with his stale breath. "You always were an unruly child. And children must be disciplined."

Vegeta willed himself to remain silent, anticipating the first strike, which came as a lightning-fast backhanded slap to his face. Vegeta dodged the attack, retreating several paces.

If Frieza was going to kill him, Vegeta wasn't about to let him do it easily. He'd keep the monster distracted. Give Goku and Bulma enough time to get off the ship and flee to safety. Vegeta wasn't sure how long he could hold his own against the most powerful being in the universe, but he was willing to do the best he could for as long as he could. He still held the advantage of the gravity training, which was unknown to Frieza. The tyrant had no idea the improvements he'd made in a year.

"I'm done taking orders from you," spat Vegeta. If he was going to die, he might as well shout the words he'd wished to say all his life. "Kill me if you can, but I'm not yours any more."

Frieza only laughed. "You'll always be mine, Vegeta. You have been since the day you were born."

With a snarl, the Saiyan prince attacked his master, unleashing the power he'd kept hidden while on the ship.

His punches exploded into Frieza's abdomen and face, containing all the rage he'd built up over an entire life of servitude. The fury of his attack caught Frieza off guard, and many of the punches connected, until the tyrant countered, slamming a knee into Vegeta's abdomen. Vegeta fell, scrambling to get back up on his feet to block the next attack.

Only one year ago, that hit would have ended the battle. He'd be crumpled on the ground, unable to move, much less fight. But here he was, still standing.

Frieza wiped away a trail of blood from his mouth, inspecting the liquid on his hand. "Surprising," he said. "It appears that I've been far too lenient with you in the past, Vegeta." Frieza pulled his lips down into a frown. "It's time you learned to respect your superiors."

Vegeta launched himself at Frieza once more. He knew better than to let Frieza initiate an offensive. But this time, Frieza anticipated the attack, blocking Vegeta's blows and twisting around to ram an elbow into the back of his neck.

Vegeta dropped, stunned but unyielding. He fired an energy attack, which Frieza deflected. Vegeta scooted back, retreating until he backed into the wall. Frieza advanced slowly, charging a ball of energy in his left hand. When he fired the shot, Vegeta dodged, rolling sideways and using the momentum to get back on his feet.

He was winded now, but Vegeta stood, ready to fight until the end.

"You've been training, haven't you Vegeta?" asked Frieza. "But did you really think you could beat me? I'm hardly even trying. Your father tried to do that once, and look what it got him."

"Don't talk about my father!" screamed Vegeta. He charged once more, but Frieza was more than ready. The tyrant absorbed his attack, igniting a flame of energy and blasting it into Vegeta's stomach.

"Oh Vegeta," chided Frieza as the Saiyan prince fell to the ground, clutching his midsection. "This is where you always go wrong."

Vegeta flailed on the tile, unsuccessfully trying to get back on his feet. _Bad, this is bad._

"You let your emotions get in the way, and you care too much." Frieza kicked Vegeta viciously in the back, sending the young Saiyan tumbling across the floor.

The world spun as Vegeta fought to get back up. He shook his head, attempting to clear the black at the edges of his vision. He would not, could not give up.

"Do you know why I killed Raditz?" Frieza asked. He opened his arms in a sympathizing gesture "I was trying to help you. Trying to rid you from sentimental attachment. But you can't help yourself, can you? You even brought more companions back with you from your little excursion."

Vegeta froze.

"Surely you didn't think I didn't notice." Frieza strode forward again.

"You're mistaken. They don't mean anything to me."

"I don't tolerate lying." He backhanded Vegeta savagely in the jaw. This time, the prince didn't have the strength or time to defend against it. The force behind the strike snapped his head sideways. Blood flowed freely from his lip. "Now, what am I going to do to them? To her?" he mused.

Vegeta's world stopped. Bulma. Frieza knew. He knew all along.

"Kill her, obviously. But how? Peel the flesh from her bones? Rip away layer after layer of muscle while she screams for it to stop? All in front of you, of course."

"No," whispered Vegeta.

"Or should I make you do it?" asked Frieza. "After all, you'd give her a quick death, wouldn't you? Painless and fast. Like the soldier today."

"Please no." Vegeta put his hand over his mouth.

"Apologize."

"I'm sorry. Lord Frieza, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to go this far."

Frieza kicked Vegeta in the chest, pinning him under his clawed foot and squeezing the air from his lungs. "Of course you didn't." Frieza stomped down harder, and Vegeta felt his ribs strain under the pressure. "But such a crime cannot go unpunished."

"I'll do anything!" It was a wildly desperate plea. One that felt foreign coming from his own mouth. He'd heard it countless times from his own victims throughout his life, and never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine he'd bargain like this for someone else. But the image of Bulma, suffering at the hands of Frieza or being murdered by himself in a mercy killing, was worse than surrendering his own pride. Tears welled in his eyes, and he couldn't tell if it was from the pain in his chest or the shame in begging for a life. "Just don't hurt her."

"This is too much fun," laughed Frieza darkly. "The Prince of Saiyans begging for the life of his little girlfriend and his pal." The pressure on his chest lessened, but Frieza's tail curled around his neck instead, cutting off his air supply completely. "And what will you do for me?" asked Frieza. He held Vegeta aloft with his tail. The prince's feet dangled six inches from the ground.

Vegeta wheezed slightly, unable to vocalize a response. Frieza tossed him to the ground, and Vegeta smacked his head hard on the tile as he landed. He pushed himself onto his hand and knees, blood dripping from his forehead. "Anything. Anything you want."

Frieza used his foot to push Vegeta's head into the ground. "Your workload doubles. You purge two planets a week. One toe out of line, and they both die. They stay on the ship where I can keep an eye on them."

"Yes, Lord Frieza." He knew Frieza loved this. The monster relished any chance to manipulate him. And he'd messed up big time. Allowed Frieza to pinpoint his weak spot and exploit it to its fullest potential.

"And not a word to your little cohorts about this conversation," said Frieza. "This stays between us."

"Yes, Lord Frieza," Vegeta whispered, beaten.

Frieza laughed, grinding Vegeta's face into the floor. "Oh Vegeta, your pride has taken a serious hit today, hasn't it?"

Vegeta grit his teeth and struggled under Frieza's powerful foot as the pressure on his skull built.

"You used to be such a prideful, spiteful little thing, and now look at you. How can you even call yourself a Saiyan anymore?" Frieza leaned forward, grabbing Vegeta's tail at its base and twisted.

Agonizing pain exploded throughout Vegeta's body, and he cried out involuntarily. Frieza swung Vegeta up by the tail, crashing him into the floor again and again. The pain multiplied as his back spasmed, his body unable to manage the abuse on his sensitive tail. With a final snap, Vegeta's whole body went rigid, and he crashed to the ground, unable to move.

Frieza held Vegeta's limp, detached tail in his hand for a moment before incinerating it. "I don't think you'll be needing that any more," said the monster, dusting his hands.

Vegeta's fingers twitched in response, but his eyes were rolling back into his head without his consent, and there wasn't much he could do to stay conscious anymore.

As his body surrendered, he heard Frieza say smugly, "And Vegeta, apology accepted."

**DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ DBZ**

_Ouch! Vegeta, my poor baby. What has Frieza done to you?_

_Thanks for sticking with this story, everyone. I appreciate and read every single review I get on this piece. _


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